Suspicious behavior and failure to use a turn signal led to a traffic stop and an arrest. When the driver appeared in court today, she was charged with one felony and five misdemeanors.

Tina Sue Lerch, 42, of Sandborn, was arrested last Thursday, August 29, by Indiana State Police Trooper Richard Klun.

When she appeared in court today, Thursday, September 5, she was charged with:

Possession of methamphetamine, a Level 6 felony,
Operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person, a Class A misdemeanor,
Operating a vehicle with a Schedule I or II controlled substance in person’s body, a Class C misdemeanor,
Driving while suspended – a knowing violation with a prior conviction within 10 years, a Class A misdemeanor,
Possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor, and
Possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.

Trooper Klun was on patrol on State Road 45 north of State Road 445 in eastern Greene County when a white 1998 Ford Mustang headed south on SR 45 north of SR 445 caught his attention as it crested a hill and encountered another trooper going northbound. Klun said the Mustang suddenly made a right-hand turn to the west into a parking lot without using a turn signal and it appeared the turn was an attempt to avoid the other trooper.

According to Klun, the Mustang drove through the lot, then sat stationary at another exit for a minute before pulling out. When the vehicle started traveling again, Klun got behind it and initiated a traffic stop in the area of the Dollar General Store.

Lerch was identified as the driver. She had one male passenger on board.

Klun said Lerch admitted her driver’s license was suspended and a records check revealed she had an infraction for driving while suspended in 2016.

Klun reported that during the stop, Lerch exhibited several signs of impaired driving and he deployed his K-9 Loki to do a sniff. Loki alerted to the presence of illegal substances and Klun then searched the vehicle.

Klun said that during the search, he found a number of items of illegal contraband and paraphernalia.

ISP Trooper Caleb Garvin, who was assisting on the scene, interviewed Lerch while Klun was searching the vehicle, and Garvin reported Lerch admitted the illegal items in the vehicle were hers, that she had used meth about three days earlier and had used marijuana the day before.

Lerch was transported to Monroe County Hospital for a blood draw – results are pending.

She was then transported to the Greene County Jail where she was booked in around 4:30 p.m.

In the probable cause affidavit prepared by Klun, he notes that Lerch was honest, forthcoming and compliant throughout the entire traffic stop.

During her initial hearing, her bond was set at $10,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. As of early Thursday evening, September 5, she had not posted bond and was still in jail.