A Bloomfield woman was arrested by a BPD officer after a caller reported a driver was all over the roadway north of Bloomfield. The caller, and witness to the incident, just happened to be Greene County’s Chief Deputy Prosecutor. Last week a special prosecutor was appointed to handle the case.

Charlotta Lucille Preece, 37, Bloomfield, was arrested by Deputy Marshal Wayman JR Blazier of the Bloomfield Police Department on Wednesday night, March 11.

Officer Blazier was dispatched around 8 p.m. that night after a caller reported a reckless driver was northbound on State Road 157 North heading out of Bloomfield. The caller in this case was Greene County’s Chief Deputy Prosecutor Keven McIntosh.

When McIntosh later provided the officer with a statement explaining what he witnessed, he said he was northbound on SR 157, north of the intersection of SR 157 and SR 54 in Bloomfield, when he came up behind a slow-moving silver vehicle which had a compact blue passenger car in front of it. McIntosh estimated the blue car was going about 20 mph and was traveling all over the roadway. He said the blue car went completely onto the white line on the opposite side of the highway twice and also swerved onto the shoulder on the right. He alleged the car crossed the center line four or five times in less than a mile and oncoming traffic was honking and the silver car began honking when the blue car travelled toward oncoming traffic while going up a small hill.

The driver of the blue car was later identified as Charlotta Preece.

According to McIntosh, the blue car then abruptly pulled into a driveway on the west side of the highway and McIntosh parked his vehicle on the east side then walked over to the blue car to determine if the driver was having a medical emergency. Preece allegedly told McIntosh she was just tired and having an issue with the car, but he reported definite signs of impaired driving and told her he didn’t believe her and could not in good conscience allow her to leave and endanger herself, other drivers or her child who was in the back seat.

McIntosh called into dispatch and another call was made by Preece to an adult family member to pick up the child from the scene. McIntosh said he did not attempt to restrain Preece in any way, but she was cooperative and complied with his request to not leave.

When Officer Blazier arrived, he found Preece sitting behind the wheel of the blue car parked in a driveway with McIntosh nearby. McIntosh briefed Blazier then left the scene.

Officer Blazier also reported numerous signs of impairment but said he did not detect the odor of alcohol and no portable breath test was given. Standardized field tests were administered and Preece allegedly failed. Preece allegedly admitted she had taken some Xanax.

Preece was transported to Greene County General Hospital for a blood draw then transported to the Greene County Jail where she was booked in around 10:30 p.m. Her bond was set at $8,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed.

When Preece appeared in Greene Superior Court for an initial hearing, she was formally charged with:

Operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person, a Class A misdemeanor,
Operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor,
Operating a vehicle with a Schedule I or II controlled substance in person’s body, a Class C misdemeanor,
Neglect of a dependent – placing dependent in a situation that endangers the dependent, a Level 6 felony, and
Operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person less than 18 years old, a Level 6 felony.

The day after the initial hearing, the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office filed a motion for a special prosecutor to be appointed.

Judge Dena Martin approved the motion last week and appointed Senior Prosecutor David Owen Thomas of St. Mary of the Woods, Ind., to handle the case going forward. A public defender has been appointed to represent Preece.

On Monday evening, March 23, Preece had not yet posted bond and was still in jail.