A local driver was arrested on charges of operating while intoxicated and felony battery after she was accused of crashing her vehicle into a house.
Columbus police were sent to the 700 block of Eighth Street at 9:35 p.m. Monday about the accident, said Lt. Matt Harris, Columbus Police Department spokesman.
Witnesses told police that a black Pontiac driven by Clarissa D. Johnson, 35, Columbus, hit a pedestrian crossing sign, a utility pole, a street sign and a stop sign before crashing into the porch of a nearby residence, Harris said.
When officers spoke with Johnson, they detected a strong odor of alcoholic beverage on her breath and that her speech was slurred and her balance was poor, Harris said.
Johnson was taken to Columbus Regional Hospital where she became combative with staff and security and refused a blood test. Harris said officers sought and received a search warrant for a blood draw.
She was later taken to the Bartholomew County Jail on preliminary charges of two counts of battery on a public safety official and operating a vehicle while intoxicated – endangerment.
For more on this story, see Wednesday’s Republic.
