Ferdinand Fire Department
Grass fire on I-64
On Thursday, January 16, Ferdinand Firefighters were called to the westbound lanes of I-64 to a report of a grass fire near mile-marker 67. Upon arriving, units found an approximately 30’x30’ area burning and extinguished the flames. Three trucks and 10 personnel were on scene for approximately 15 minutes.
Huntingburg Police
OWI arrest
While a Huntingburg Police officer was running stationary radar on US 231 in front of Southridge High School on Saturday night, January 18, radar indicated a white, southbound SUV traveling 65 miles per hour in a 45 MPH zone. The officer initiated a traffic stop on the SUV and, upon noticing the odor of alcohol coming from the driver, asked her to step out of the vehicle for a field sobriety test. Because of the cold weather, the driver, identified as 32-year-old Melissa Arning of Dale, was transported to the Huntingburg Police Station, where she failed the field sobriety test. Arning then allegedly refused to submit to a certified chemical test. The officer then obtained a warrant, at which point Arning allegedly advised she was having a medical emergency. EMS was notified and transported Arning to the hospital. Once medically cleared and released, Arning was taken to the Dubois County Security Center on a charge of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated- refusal.
Jasper Police
Employee arrested for drug theft
Jasper Police received a call from Commonwealth Pain Management and Spine at 11:30 a.m. on January 17, in reference to a theft of medications by an employee. After a co-investigation with the employer, police arrested 27-year-old Alicia Ann Hill of Winslow on charges of obtaining a controlled substance by deception (level 6 felony) and possession of a narcotic drug (level 6 felony), as well as on an active warrant from Vanderburgh County for failure to appear. Hill was lodged in the Dubois County Security Center.
OWI arrest
An officer initiated a traffic stop at 10 p.m. last Saturday night, January 18, on a 2004 Nissan that had veered left of center multiple times while traveling on Newton Street. Upon further investigation, the officer determined the Nissan’s driver — 50-year-old Ariel Arias Mirabal of Jasper — was impaired. A chemical test showed Arias Mirabal’s BAC to be 0.179, and he was subsequently booked into the security center on charges of OWI endangerment and OWI with an ACE of 0.15 or above (both class A misdemeanors).
Rear-end collision
Two drivers involved in a rear-end collision on 30th Street at 5:51 a.m. on January 16 gave conflicting stories to officers. Kimberly Butler of Jasper told officers she had stopped at the intersection of 30th and Mill streets and had just taken her foot off the brake when her 2016 Jeep Renegade was rear-ended by a 2006 GMC Envoy driven by Michael J. Carr of Loogootee. Carr told officers he saw the Renegade ahead of him stop, start into the intersection and stop again, which caused him to strike the vehicle from behind. A witness told officers Butler’s vehicle had not yet moved, and that Carr did not appear to be slowing down at all before impact. Butler complained of neck pain but refused EMS treatment. Carr was cited for following too closely. Both vehicles sustained an estimated $3,000 in damages.
