COLUMBUS, Ind. — Columbus police officers arrested two DUI suspects approximately 45 minutes apart in separate investigations after they were observed sleeping behind the wheel of their vehicles at two fast food restaurant drive-thrus early Sunday morning.
At approximately 3:30 a.m., CPD officers responded to White Castle, located at 1686 N. National Road, in regards to a possible intoxicated driver who pulled into the drive-thru. A witness reported seeing the driver of the vehicle, later identified as Paris Prophete, 29, of Columbus, driving recklessly and crashing into snowbanks on the side of the road prior to pulling into the drive-through, said Lt. Matt Harris, Columbus Police Department spokesman.
When officers attempted to make contact with Prophete, they noted that he was asleep in the driver’s seat of his vehicle. After failing multiple sobriety tests, Prophete was transported to the Columbus Police Department where he provided a certified breath sample of .163% (over twice the legal limit). Prophete was placed under arrest and transported to the Bartholomew County Jail where he was remanded on a preliminary charge of Operating a Vehicle with a BAC of .15% or greater.
At approximately 4:15 a.m., CPD officers were dispatched to McDonalds, located at 1880 N. National Road, in regards to an unconscious person in the drive-thru. When officers arrived, they located Jared B. Schoen, 23, of Columbus, unconscious in the driver’s seat of his vehicle with his foot on the brake and the vehicle still in gear, Harris said. Officers put Schoen’s vehicle in neutral and were able to push the car away from the drive-thru wall after they had difficulty waking him up. Schoen was transported to Columbus Regional Hospital where officers continued their investigation. After a blood test was completed, Schoen was placed under arrest and transported to the Bartholomew County Jail where he was remanded on a preliminary charge of Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated.
For more on this story, see Tuesday’s Republic.
