A driver on I-69 was arrested last Friday when a trooper responded to 911 calls from other drivers that he was all over the road. When the trooper caught up to him, numerous other cars were not passing him but stacked up behind him with their flashers on.

Zackary Matthew Eads, 29, Bloomington, was arrested by Indiana State Police Master Trooper Eric Nash last Friday, November 5.

When a criminal case was filed against Eads this week and he appeared in Greene Superior Court on Wednesday for his initial hearing, he was charged with possession of a narcotic drug, a Level 6 felony, and unlawful possession of syringe, a Level 6 felony.

Trooper Nash was northbound on I-69 around 11:45 a.m. that Friday when ISP Dispatch said they’d gotten numerous 911 calls about a reckless driver all over the road. From those calls, they said callers advised it was a gray Chevrolet Monte Carlo southbound on I-69. Not long after the dispatch, when Trooper Nash saw the suspect vehicle, he cut through the grass median to follow it.

Trooper Nash said as he was catching up, he could see vehicles stacked up and staggered some distance behind the suspect vehicle and the front two vehicles had their four-way flashers on. Ahead of them, the suspect Monte Carlo was in the left lane, then drifted across the right lane then onto the right shoulder then back to the left, with the right turn signal on.

Trooper Nash maneuvered around the vehicles and got behind the Monte Carlo to initiate a traffic stop. The Monte Carlo slowly pulled over to the shoulder and stopped.

Eads was the driver. When asked if he was alright, he said he worked third shift the night before and was very tired, then added the tie rods on the vehicle were bad and it was hard to steer. Trooper Nash noted the driver’s eyes were red or bloodshot and he wasn’t speaking clearly.

ISP Trooper Caleb Garvin then arrived on the scene to assist and when he looked inside the vehicle, he could see a syringe near the driver’s seat. A K-9 officer was requested. When Trooper Ian Portteus and his K-9 Czar arrived, Czar gave a positive alert on the vehicle.

Troopers reported that during a search of the vehicle, they located three syringes and a small amount of a powder substance in a small tin in the center console. When field-tested, the powder tested negative for methamphetamine, but positive for heroin.

Eads passed one part of standard field sobriety tests, failed others, and when given a portable breath test, results showed no presence of alcohol.

Eads agreed to take a blood test and a sample was obtained by medical personnel at the sheriff’s department – results pending.

Eads was booked in to the Greene County Jail at 2:22 p.m. He was held without bond pending court appearance.

During his hearing this week, his bond was set at $8,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. As of late Friday, November 12, he has not yet posted bond and is still in custody.