A Jasper man was placed under arrest Tuesday evening on drug and neglect charges after police say he drove through a yard to avoid nearly striking a state trooper at the scene of a weather-related slide off.
Indiana State Police say just after 5 pm Tuesday a trooper with the Jasper Post was assisting with a truck that had slid off of the roadway on Portersville Road south of County Road 500 North, approximately one mile north of Jasper forcing the trooper to close the road down by parking his police car in the middle of the road and turning on his emergency lights.
Police allege an SUV driven by 24-year-old Caleb Peltier of Jasper drove around the police car and through a yard in an attempt to drive around the scene.
After not being able to drive past the slide-off, police say Peltier turned around and drove back towards the trooper who stopped him.
Police say the trooper while speaking to Peltier, smelled what he believed to be the odor of burnt marijuana and through the course of their investigation, authorities discovered Peltier had smoked marijuana around noon yesterday, and had marijuana and paraphernalia in his possession.
Police say Peltier also had his children ages two-years and 9-months in the vehicle.
Peltier was arrested and charged with two felony counts of neglect of a dependent, misdemeanor OWI charges and misdemeanor charges of possession of marijuana and paraphernalia.
He was taken to and booked without incident in the Dubois County Security Center.
Police say the children were unharmed and picked up at the scene by their mother.
The Indiana State Police reminds motorists who witness reckless and dangerous drivers to immediately contact law enforcement, especially when road conditions are poor. Call 911 with a location, description of the vehicle, and specifically what reckless actions are happening to help police take dangerous drivers off of Indiana’s roadways.
