An impaired motorist was arrested early Sunday, Feb. 2, in the driveway of her residence after reportedly leading officers of the Bellefontaine Police Department on a brief pursuit and assaulting an officer during her arrest.
Ashleigh Heater, 28, of Bellefontaine, was charged with failure to comply with a police officer, assault on a peace officer, resisting arrest, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, obstructing official business and a number of marked lanes violations.
Officers on patrol around 3 a.m. reportedly observed a black Honda making an extremely wide turn onto West Sandusky Avenue from north Main Street. The vehicle continued eastbound, straddling lanes and accelerating quickly. The officer caught up to the Honda at a red light on east Sandusky Avenue.
The officer initiated a traffic stop on east Sandusky Avenue near Shortridge Street, but Heater failed to stop. The Honda she was operating turned onto Shortridge, veering off the right side of the road into the grass before correcting and continuing onto Brookwood Drive. She eventually pulled into her residential driveway in the 500 block of Brookwood Drive.
Upon approaching the vehicle officers observed the driver, Heater, on her phone and not wearing a seatbelt. She initially refused to roll down her window and, when she eventually did, spoke with heavily slurred speech. She was uncooperative with requests to provide her driver’s license and proof of insurance and cursed at officers.
Heater became confrontational when she did exit the vehicle, using profane and derogatory language toward officers before trying to enter her residence. When an officer attempted to detain her, she reportedly shoved the officer and resisted arrest before being subdued and taken into custody.
Officers reported that Heater exhibited signs of intoxication, including slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, unsteady movements and the odor of alcohol. A half-empty can of Four Loko was found in her vehicle.
Heater was lodged in the Logan County Jail.