Erick Eckurd, 46, of Cable, was charged with drunk driving and issued multiple traffic citations following a Nov. 22 traffic stop executed by officers of the Bellefontaine Police Department in the area of south Main Street near Allen Road.
Officers on patrol around 11:07 p.m. when observed a white Jeep Gladiator traveling southbound on south Main Street. The vehicle reportedly made a wide right turn from Clarkson Avenue, taking up both southbound lanes. The driver continued south, drifting between lanes without signaling and making abrupt lane changes. At one point, the vehicle nearly struck a curb and a fire hydrant during a jerking maneuver, officers reported.
The vehicle crossed the double-yellow line and a stop bar, along with other moving violations prompting the traffic stop. When the vehicle came to a stop, it was positioned across three parking spaces, perpendicular to the stall lines.
Upon approaching the driver, identified as Eckurd, the officer observed signs of impairment. He appeared unsteady on his feet, requiring support to exit his vehicle and repeatedly leaning against his Jeep for balance. The driver admitted to consuming one bottle of Yuengling earlier in the evening and consented to standardized field sobriety tests. However, the tests were not successful.
Eckurd was transported to the police department, where he provided breath samples for testing. The results showed blood alcohol concentrations of 0.167 and 0.176, both more than twice the legal limit of 0.08.
A review of Erick’s driving record revealed a prior OVI conviction in 1999. He was issued a citation for operating a vehicle while impaired and informed of his mandatory court appearance, and was also charged with violation of marked lanes, improper turn and failure to use a turn signal. He was later released to a sober driver.