The call came into the Independence County Sheriff’s Department that a man was at a residence in the 4700-block of Heber Springs Road knocking on the door and getting into the complainant’s vehicle.
Deputy Bobby Tate arrived early Sunday morning and he noticed a red-four-door Jeep upside down in the ditch on Heber Springs Road.
He also found the man knocking on the door and getting in and out of the complainant’s vehicle.
The man, identified at Zachary D. Thomas,23, of Mountain View was soaking wet, smelled of intoxicants, and had watery, bloodshot eyes, according to Deputy Tate.
Thomas told Deputy Tate that the people at the residence told him that the vehicle was his. Tate asked Thomas if he knew anything about the red Jeep that was upside down in the ditch. Thomas said he had one, but didn’t know about it being wrecked, but he did say he was driving the Jeep.
Thomas also told the deputy that he had been drinking somewhere in Batesville and he was trying to get home to Mountain View.
Thomas was taken to the Independence County jail where he was given standard field sobriety test inside the sally port. Thomas did not do well on the tests. Authorities also administered a blood alcohol test the results were 0.197. 0.08 is considered intoxicated.
Deputy Tate cited Thomas for driving while intoxicated and careless driving.
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