OHIO — A Bellefontaine woman was arrested early Saturday morning on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated following a crash on U.S. 68 north of Bellefontaine.
According to the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched just after 1 a.m. to the 4000 block of U.S. 68 after receiving a crash notification.
The driver, identified as 49-year-old Shanelle Cook, told dispatchers she had struck a deer and went off the roadway. Dispatchers reported that Cook sounded “discombobulated” during the phone call.
When deputies arrived, they located the vehicle off the roadway and discovered it had also struck a fence and mailbox on the opposite side of the highway.
Investigators said Cook displayed several signs of intoxication at the scene. She reportedly told deputies she swerved to avoid a deer and admitted to drinking after leaving Belle Center.
According to the sheriff’s office, Cook agreed to perform field sobriety tests and failed them. Deputies said she repeatedly apologized during the investigation and again admitted to consuming alcohol.
Cook was arrested and taken to the Logan County Jail, where she agreed to provide a breath sample. Authorities said the test showed a blood-alcohol concentration of .179, which is more than twice the legal limit.
Her driver’s license was seized, and she was cited for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and failure to control.
