A 26-year-old Columbia Station man was arrested early Sunday, September 6, after crashing his BMW M5 onto a pedestrian path and into mud near Heritage Hall at Baldwin Wallace University, tearing three tires off the vehicle and scattering car parts across the walkway. Police say the man was intoxicated at the time and had a loaded 9mm handgun inside the car's driver's-door compartment.
The crash happened about midnight on Tressel Street in Berea, according to Cleveland.com, which reported that witnesses said several people walking on the pedestrian path had to jump out of the way of the sports car. One of the BMW's tires came to rest on the car's rear bumper, and the vehicle's rims dug into the ground, damaging the pathway itself.
Heritage Hall, located at 114 Tressel Street, is Baldwin Wallace University's largest residence hall and primarily houses first-year students, according to Baldwin Wallace University. The building also contains the university's designated Commuter Lounge on its first floor. Because full-time undergraduates are required to live on campus during their first three years, the crash unfolded just steps from where large numbers of freshmen were housed for the night.
Field Sobriety Tests, a Flask, and a Loaded Gun
The driver failed field sobriety tests at the scene and admitted to drinking two beers, the report notes. Officers also found a metal flask containing alcohol inside the BMW's glovebox, in addition to the loaded firearm in the door compartment. The BMW itself was left with damaged wheel rims after the impact.
Baldwin Wallace University policy strictly prohibits all firearms, weapons, ammunition, and explosives on campus property and inside university housing, with the handbook warning of immediate disciplinary and legal action, per the university's own conduct policy. Residence hall rules permit only standard kitchen cutlery stored in designated areas, underscoring how far a loaded 9mm handgun departed from campus norms even before state law is considered.
Why a DUI Could Become a Felony
Ohio law treats impaired driving with a firearm in the car far more seriously than a standard OVI charge. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 2923.16(D)(1), knowingly transporting or possessing a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a fifth-degree felony punishable by six to 12 months in prison and fines up to $2,500, according to the Toledo Police Department. That statute applies regardless of concealed-carry status, even under Ohio's permitless carry law.
Separately, Ohio Revised Code Section 2923.15 makes using or possessing a firearm while under the influence of alcohol or drugs a first-degree misdemeanor, carrying maximum penalties of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, per Sabol Mallory. That statute dates back to 1974 and is distinct from the vehicle-handling law tied to the loaded firearm found in the car.
The flask found in the glovebox also carries its own legal exposure. Under Ohio Revised Code Section 4301.62, possessing an open container of alcohol inside a vehicle on public roads is a minor misdemeanor carrying a $150 fine, though consuming alcohol inside the vehicle can escalate the offense to a fourth-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 30 days in jail, according to Luper Neidenthal & Logan. Open container convictions in Ohio create permanent public criminal records.
A Commute From Lorain County
The Columbia Station man was involved in a crash in Berea.
Countywide, drunk driving remains a persistent problem. Cuyahoga County recorded 937 OVI-related crashes in 2024, and alcohol was involved in roughly 41% of driving deaths in the county between 2017 and 2021, according to state traffic data cited by Kisling, Nestico & Redick. That local rate exceeds Ohio's statewide average of 32%.
A Chaotic Night for Berea Police
A crash outside Heritage Hall occurred during an overnight shift for Berea's police department. That same night, officers also responded to Berea Oktoberfest, where a 22-year-old man was arrested for attacking three women and kicking a police officer, as Hoodline reported in a separate incident the same night.
It was not the department's only recent case involving a vehicle search turning up unexpected contraband. In August, Berea police conducted a traffic stop on Fair Street that led to drug trafficking allegations and the arrest of a 53-year-old man after officers found marijuana vapes, a fake ID, and $3,740 in cash inside his vehicle, according to Hoodline's earlier coverage of that stop.
Misdemeanor charges from Berea traffic stops are typically tried in Berea Municipal Court, while felony charges are bound over to Cuyahoga County, per the City of Berea. Given the loaded firearm found in the BMW, the Columbia Station man's case could follow that felony track, though it remains unclear whether formal charges have been filed in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.
