A 22-year-old man from Verona, Wisconsin, was arrested March 22 after Berea police say they stopped his Volkswagen Golf and found a rolling crowd packed inside: six passengers in total, including one riding in the trunk. Officers reported the driver first ran a stop sign at Beech Street and 5th Avenue, cut through the Walgreens parking lot on East Bagley Road, and later hit the gas hard enough to make his tires squeal at Front and School Streets. Police said they smelled alcohol inside the vehicle, the driver failed field sobriety tests and was taken into custody.
What police say
As reported by Cleveland.com, officers activated their overhead lights at Beech and 5th and pulled the Volkswagen over. Once the car was stopped, they counted one front-seat passenger, four crammed into the backseat and a sixth person in the trunk. According to the police report, the driver told officers, "they're all intoxicated." The report also notes the car was later parked on West Street after the stop.
Legal implications
Under Ohio law, operating a vehicle while impaired is a criminal offense. The statute governing impaired driving is set out in the Ohio Revised Code.
What's next
The Cleveland.com story did not say whether the driver submitted to a chemical breath test or which charges were ultimately filed. Court records or a formal police statement will be needed to confirm the final disposition of the case.
