A passenger was injured and a driver was arrested following a one-vehicle crash in eastern Greene County last weekend. The two were involved in a disagreement over people not wearing masks at a restaurant when the driver ran off the road and crashed in a ditch.

Benjamin William Perney, 29, Bloomington, was arrested by Deputy Jordan Allor of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department last Saturday, October 10. Perney was booked into the Greene County Jail at 6:10 p.m. His bond was set at $10,500 surety with ten percent cash allowed. He posted $1,050 and was released the next day. A criminal case was filed against Perney earlier today, Friday, October 16.

There was a crash involving one vehicle last Saturday in eastern Greene County. When Deputy Allor was dispatched, he was told the passenger in the vehicle was unresponsive after the crash but had since regained consciousness though the passenger was not alert.

Deputy Allor arrived on the scene and found a silver 2002 Honda Civic in the ditch on the south side of East Chapel Road about 200 feet east of North Whaley Drive. Rescue personnel were already on the scene, including firefighters and an ambulance.

Benjamin Perney was identified as the driver – he was sitting in the ambulance’s passenger seat. Also inside the ambulance, the passenger, Nathaniel Perney, was being treated for injuries.

Benjamin Perney allegedly said he and his brother had just been to a restaurant and they were arguing about people at the restaurant not wearing masks. He said while they were arguing, he ran off the road into the ditch and once the car stopped, his brother was unconscious.

Deputy Allor noticed signs of impairment and Benjamin Perney allegedly admitted he had consumed a few shots of whiskey and believed he was over the legal limit to be driving. He agreed to perform standard field sobriety tests and passed one, failed two. He tested at .033 on a portable breath test.

When Deputy Allor asked for his insurance and registration, Benjamin Perney said it was in the vehicle and he asked the deputy to also get his cell phone from the vehicle. The deputy found the paperwork and the cell phone, and a hand-rolled cigarette with burnt green plant material believed to be marijuana.

Benjamin Perney declined to answer any questions about the green plant material and he declined to take a chemical test.

Benjamin Perney was transported to the sheriff’s department and the deputy applied for a search warrant which was approved. A blood draw was taken – results pending.

No additional information about the passenger’s condition or injuries has been released.

When Benjamin Perney appears in Greene Superior Court for an initial hearing, he will be formally charged with:

Operating a vehicle with an alcohol concentration of .08 or more causing serious bodily injury, a Level 5 felony,
Operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person, a Class A misdemeanor,
Operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor, and
Possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor.