Out-of-County Driver on Probation Facing OWI Charges After Wrong-Way Incident on State Road 37

An out-of-town man is facing drunk driving charges in Lawrence County after local deputies intercepted a white pickup truck traveling the wrong way on State Road 37 during the early morning hours.

Kohlten A. French, 23, of Cromwell, Indiana, was arrested by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department following multiple frantic calls from motorists reporting a truck driving head-on into southbound traffic.

The Wrong-Way Report and Traffic Stop

According to the official probable cause affidavit filed by Deputy C. Pruett, the high-risk tracking incident began on June 12, 2026, at approximately 2:48 AM. Dispatch received initial reports of a white truck driving northbound in the southbound lanes of State Road 37, just north of the Old State Road 37 intersection. Because no Lawrence County deputies were initially close to the county line, Monroe County authorities were requested to assist.

Minutes later, a second caller reported that the truck—now carrying bicycles on its tailgate—had turned around and was traveling southbound near Patton Hill Road, where it nearly ran another vehicle completely off the roadway while veering near the median.

Deputy Pruett spotted the matching white truck as it passed Brock Lane. After turning around to catch up, the deputy witnessed the vehicle swerve halfway into a turn lane near the US Highway 50 West intersection and drift over the yellow line. Deputy Pruett activated his emergency lights, and French finally brought the truck to a stop in a turn lane near 8997 State Road 37.

"Too Much to Be Driving"

When Deputy Pruett approached the driver's side window, he was met with the strong odor of alcohol and a highly unusual scene: French was behind the wheel wearing nothing but his underwear.

The traffic stop interview quickly exposed severe cognitive confusion:

• When asked where he was coming from, French struggled to speak, eventually muttering, "Indiana... Bloomington."
• When asked where he was going, he simply repeated "Indiana." After the deputy pointed out that Indiana was a broad destination, French read off the home address listed on his license.
• French's eyes were bloodshot and glassy, his speech was slurred, and instead of handing over his vehicle registration, he mistakenly handed the deputy the vehicle's title.

French eventually admitted to drinking, repeatedly stating that he was currently on probation and "could not afford to be pulled over. "When asked directly if he had consumed too much alcohol to be driving, French explicitly replied, "Obviously yes. "Deputies confiscated his keys and transported him to the testing facility.

Failing the Tests: Bourbon Slushies and 14 Clues

During Standardized Field Sobriety Tests administered at the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department Sally Port, French showed heavy signs of physical impairment across all categories:

• Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN): French triggered a perfect 6 out of 6 clues, showing a distinct lack of smooth pursuit and early nystagmus onset in both eyes.
• Walk and Turn: He failed to keep his balance during instructions, stepped off the line multiple times, missed heel-to-toe steps, and lost track of his count, triggering 5 out of 8 clues.
• One-Leg Stand: French struggled to balance, dropping his foot twice and swaying heavily, yielding 3 out of 4 clues.

A roadside Portable Breath Test (PBT) showed an initial BAC of 0.143%. After being read his Miranda warnings, French confessed that he had started drinking after dark, consuming four pint-sized, blueberry-flavored bourbon slushies. He noted that his friend had explicitly told him to stay the night in Bloomington, but he chose to ignore the warning and try to drive home anyway.

A certified chemical breath test using the Intox EC/IR-II instrument officially locked in French’s blood alcohol content at 0.139 g/210L—well past Indiana's legal limit.

French was booked into the Lawrence County Jail on charges of Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated (OWI).

All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This information is obtained directly from public records.