An out-of-county driver who got lost then ran out of gas was arrested for OVWI after he was found slumped over the steering wheel of his vehicle on the side of the road near Newberry last Sunday.

Joshua Ryan Johnson, 40, Jasper, was arrested by Deputy Andrew Weeks of the Greene County Sheriff's Department last Sunday, November 27.

At 9:23 AM, Deputy Weeks was dispatched along with Deputy Zachary Goad to an area on State Road 57 about a mile north of Newberry after a caller told a dispatcher that a man driving a silver Jeep was pulled over on the side of the road and was slumped over the steering wheel. The caller said he honked at the man, who didn't respond.

Before the deputies arrived on scene, the Newberry Fire Department was there and told them the driver ran out of gas and wanted a ride to Washington but that he didn't want law enforcement to respond.

When Deputy Weeks arrived, the driver, later identified as Johnson, was standing outside of his vehicle and said he was on his way home to Huntingburg but got lost and both of his phones were broken so he could not call for directions or a ride. He said he'd been there for a while.

Deputy Weeks said when Johnson was asked for his driver’s license, he noticed Johnson had poor dexterity and was struggling to find his identification in his wallet. When Deputy Goad asked him if he'd had anything to drink or had taken any medication lately, Johnson said no but admitted that his driver's license was suspended.

Standard field sobriety tests were conducted on the scene but Johnson did not do well and was transported to the sheriff's department to take the tests in a controlled environment. He failed most parts of the testing and would not consent to take a chemical test so a search warrant was obtained for a blood draw.

When EMS personnel arrived at the jail to take the blood draw, Johnson started to fall asleep as they were reading the search warrant to him. Deputy Weeks asked him if he was alright and Johnson said he was just tired. He then struggled to stay awake during the blood draw - results pending.

Johnson was booked into the Greene County Jail at 12:03 PM with bond set at $4000 surety with 10% cash allowed. He has since posted $400 and been released with an initial hearing scheduled this week.

Johnson is being charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor.