A fishing trip ended in jail after a driver who came to Greene County to catch a few bluegill crashed his car into a ditch.  

Greg Thomas Beckham, 47, Pendelton, Ind., was arrested by Deputy Michael Coy of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department on Friday night, May 14.

Deputy Coy was dispatched at 9:55 p.m. on Friday, May 14, after a driver called the sheriff’s department and said as she drove through the area of the intersection of State Road 54 and State Road 59, she saw a silver passenger car in the ditch.

When Deputy Coy arrived at 10:18 p.m., Officer Janzen Franklin of the Linton Police Department was already there and said the driver, Greg Beckham, appeared to be intoxicated.

Beckham said he was in the area to do some bluegill fishing and had just looked down at his phone while driving, for directions. He allegedly admitted he had about five drinks prior to driving but he did not believe he was too intoxicated to drive. He did say, “I imagine I’m going to jail.”

Deputy Coy said Beckham failed standard field sobriety testing on the scene and was transported to the Linton Police Department where he again failed in a controlled environment.

Beckham agreed to take a chemical test but a breath test was not successful due to insufficient breath. He agreed to a blood draw which was completed at Greene County General Hospital – results pending.

Beckham was booked into the Greene County Jail at 11:55 p.m. with bond set at $4,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. He posted $400 and was released.

Beckham is facing preliminary charges of:

• Operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person, a Class A misdemeanor,

• Operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person with a prior within seven years, a Level 6 felony,

• Operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor, and

• Operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a prior within seven years, a Level 6 felony.

The probable cause affidavit does not say whether Beckham caught any bluegill.