James Pickett, age and address unavailable, was charged with operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs relating to a traffic stop Friday evening.
Deputies of the Logan County Sheriff’s Office responded about 11:30 p.m. to a report of a wrong-way driver on U.S. Route 33 near State Route 117.
Deputies located the eastbound vehicle, operated by Pickett, that was operating in the westbound lanes near the U.S. 33 rest area and initiated the stop. While speaking with the driver, Pickett, deputies observed that he displayed signs of impairment and that he was unsteady on his feet when being asked to exit the vehicle.
Pickett submitted to field sobriety testing and was placed under arrest. He was transported to the Logan County Jail, where he reportedly refused to provide a chemical breath test. The defendant also was cited for wrong-way driving on a divided highway.
Officers of the Bellefontaine Police Department assisted at the scene.
Driver transported from S.R. 117 crash
Bradley R. Tavernia, 23, of Carroll, was transported by BMRT squad to Mary Rutan Hospital for treatment of suspected minor injuries sustained in a crash Thursday morning.
Deputies report he was operating a westbound Ford F-550 about 8 a.m. in the parking lot of the Huntsville Marathon gas station, 6990 State Route 117, and he proceeded onto S.R. 117. His vehicle was struck by a southbound 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche operated by Mary Amspaugh, 68, of Lakeview.
Amspaugh did not report any injuries, but her passenger, Daniel L. Amspaugh, 71, was treated at the scene by Huntsville EMS personnel for minor injuries.
Deputies interviewed Tavernia, who said his vehicle’s accelerator became stuck, which caused him to travel across S.R. 117. He stated he applied the vehicle’s brakes and attempted to put the transmission in “park,” but the vehicle continued. Deputies said there were heavy skid marks in the gas station parking lot and marks on the vehicle’s tires to indicate equipment malfunction.
No citations were issued. Damage was heavy to the Amspaugh vehicle and light to the Tavernia vehicle.
• Zail A. Gammell, 21, of Quincy, was cited for failure to maintain assured clear distance ahead relating to a non-injury crash involving his car and an Amish horse and buggy Thursday evening.
He reportedly was operating a southbound 2012 Mazda 3 in the 2600 block of State Route 235 about 8:55 p.m. when his car struck the rear of a buggy operated by David H. Wagler, 30, of DeGraff.
Indian Lake EMS evaluated Gammell and Wagler at the scene, but no one was transported. The buggy also was occupied by an adult passenger and two children, ages 3 and 1. Damage was heavy to the car and the buggy.