Motorist faces OVI charges

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BellefontainePolice Patch-200Sheila Beach, 54, of Ada, was charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, failure to control and driving the wrong way on a one-way street following after officers of the Bellefontaine Police Department found her slumped over in the driver’s seat of her car around 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 8.

Officers were dispatched to the Rite-Aid parking lot, 230 S. Main St., on a report of a possible intoxicated motorist. The caller reported he’d observed the suspect traveling southbound on south Main Street then drive the wrong way on west Auburn Avenue before pulling into the business.

Upon their arrival, the vehicle was not properly parked and the Beach was found slouched over into the passenger’s seat. She told police she was traveling from Ada to visit her mother, but was too impaired to drive. 

Officers also observed signs of impairment. Beach said she’d called her husband to have her come get her, and as she was exiting her vehicle had a difficult time standing up and even vomited at one point during her interaction with law enforcement. 

Officers also observed fresh damage to the front passenger’s side of her vehicle, but Beach denied having struck anything. 

Field sobriety tests were attempted unsuccessfully and Beach declined to provide a breath test. She was charged and released to her husband.