A Bellefontaine woman was charged with impaired driving and possession of drugs following a Friday, Nov. 29, traffic stop initiated by officers of the Bellefontaine Police Department in the area of Gunntown Road near Main Street.
Officers on patrol observed a gray Jeep driving erratically southbound along Main Street. Malissa Davis, 46, was arrested around 12:22 a.m. and was cited for operating a vehicle under the influence, two counts of possession of drugs, and several traffic violations, including failure to use a turn signal, improper turn, marked lanes and speeding.
According to the police report, Davis’s gray Jeep was seen turning onto South Main Street without signaling and straddling the double yellow centerline. The vehicle then accelerated to 53 mph in a 35 mph zone and was driving erratically, including sudden steering corrections and drifting over lane markers.
The officer initiated a traffic stop on Gunntown Road after observing multiple traffic violations. Upon approaching Davis’s vehicle, the officer noted that her eyes were bloodshot, her speech was slurred and there was a strong odor of alcohol. Davis admitted to drinking “maybe like a beer” but later changed her statement to “three beers throughout the day.”
Davis refused to perform field sobriety tests, because she said she has a bad hip. She eventually admitted she was “probably not” fit to drive.
During a search of the vehicle, officers found a pill bottle in Davis’s coat pocket containing 135 pills identified as Clonidine, a medication used for anxiety, and two capsules believed to be Caplyta, an anti-psychotic drug. Neither prescription was intended for Davis.
Davis was transported to the Bellefontaine Police Department, where she declined to provide breath or urine samples. She was later lodged in the Logan County Jail.