Mark J. Fleming, 66, of 11158 Pocahontas Path, Lakeview, was charged with improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle relating to a crash Saturday, Aug. 12, along State Route 235 and into the RV Wholesalers lot, 530 N. Main St., Lakeview.
Deputies of the Logan County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched about 8 p.m. to a report of a possible drunk driver leaving Buckeye at the Lake, 11977 N. S.R. 235, Lakeview. The caller said the driver was operating a pickup hauling a trailer.
Deputies located the suspect’s northbound 2010 Ford F-150 in the area of S.R. 235 and State Route 366 in the area of Van Horn’s Curve.
The vehicle reportedly came into the deputy’s southbound lane of travel and the deputy had to swerve to the right to avoid a collision.
Deputies then attempted to initiate a traffic stop with the vehicle, and observed the pickup and trailer start to fishtail in the road, driving down a steep embankment and striking a culvert at the driveway access between the Marathon gas station and RV Wholesalers.
The pickup then reportedly went airborne between two telephone poles and traveled across a grassy area on the east side of the driveway access. The pickup glanced off of a parked camper at RV Wholesalers and then struck a second camper before coming to a rest.
When deputies arrived on the scene, they instructed the driver, Fleming, to exit the vehicle. Deputies observed that he was bleeding from a small cut on his cheek and other cut at the top of his head. He was checked at the scene by Indian Lake EMS.
Deputies observed that the defendant displayed signs of intoxication. Fleming told deputies that he had a firearm in his vehicle on the passenger seat.
Deputies located a firearm with a loaded magazine on the passenger side floorboard, along with a handgun magazine in the driver’s side door pocket and a cooler containing a beer can.
Fleming was placed under arrest and transported to the Logan County Jail. Additional charges have been requested, including operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, and citations for driving on the left side of the road, failure to control and a seat belt violation.
Damage was moderate to his vehicle, which was towed from the scene.
• Hunter N. Browning, 23, of 4877 County Road 130, Huntsville, was charged with OVI and reckless operation related to an incident Saturday evening.
Deputies responded to the campground about 11:30 p.m. on a report of a reckless driver at Kamp-A-Lot, 1888 S. County Road 25, Bellefontaine.
Deputies responded and began patrolling the campground and the surrounding area. The suspect vehicle was located along County Road 25 and the driver reportedly sped up as deputies approached, turning onto County Road 5. Deputies activated the cruiser’s overhead lights and siren and continued to follow the vehicle. The driver pulled over just before State Route 540, deputies said.
While speaking with the driver, Browning, deputies observed signs of impairment. Inside the vehicle, deputies recovered a beer can and small bottles of liquor on the floorboard and a beer can and a glass pipe in the cupholder.
Browning reportedly refused to submit to field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest and transported to the jail.
