Intoxicated Driver Arrested After Nearly Crashing into Trooper

At 4:04 P.M. this afternoon, Trooper Ross Johnson was patrolling US 50 east of Shoals when he observed, in a curve, a black 2013 Chevrolet Silverado traveling at a high rate of speed while partially in Trooper Johnson’s lane.

Trooper Johnson was able to clock the Chevrolet at a speed of 72 miles per hour in a 50 mile per hour zone before swerving off of the roadway to avoid the collision. Johnson turned his car around, activated his emergency lights, and stopped the Chevrolet.

Trooper Johnson spoke with the driver, 50 year old Paul M. Davis of Shoals. During the course of the stop, Johnson had reason to believe Davis had been driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages. Davis refused to take any tests for breath or blood alcohol content, and was placed into custody for Operating While Intoxicated – Chemical Test Refusal. Davis was transported to and lodged in the Martin County Jail without incident.

As a constant reminder, the Indiana State Police remains ever vigilant in taking intoxicated drivers off of Indiana’s roadways. From March 4 through the 27th, the Indiana State Police is participating in Operation Pull Over, in which extra patrols are dedicated towards targeting dangerous and impaired drivers.

If you observe a driver traveling in a dangerous manner, please dial 911 and tell the emergency dispatcher your location, a description of the suspect vehicle, the direction of travel, and a brief description of what the driver is doing wrong.

Arrested and Charges:
Paul M. Davis, 50
Shoals, IN
– Operating While Intoxicated – Chemical Test Refusal, Class C Misdemeanor
– Driving Left of Center – Class C Infraction