CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — A woman was arrested for operating a vehicle under the influence (OVI) following a rear-end collision on State Route 159 near Hopetown Road this week, according to the Ross County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputy Brayden Woodbridge responded to the non-injury crash around 6:52 p.m. and found two vehicles parked on the southbound shoulder. The front vehicle, a 2021 Chevy Equinox, showed rear damage, while the trailing vehicle, a 2019 Ford Explorer driven by Linda Johnson, appeared to have struck it.
During the investigation, Woodbridge noted a strong smell of alcohol emanating from Johnson. She told deputies she had been driving from Marion, Ohio, where her sister was hospitalized, and admitted to consuming two beers between 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. The Equinox driver reported braking to avoid a slowing line of traffic when Johnson’s vehicle collided with hers.
Field sobriety tests revealed multiple signs of impairment. Johnson struggled to follow instructions during the horizontal gaze nystagmus test, displaying involuntary eye movement, and exhibited poor balance during the walk-and-turn and one-leg stand tests, citing knee issues as a factor. Deputy Sams, assisting at the scene, also detected alcohol on her breath.
Johnson was arrested for OVI and placed in a patrol cruiser. A search of her vehicle uncovered four empty Michelob Ultra bottles, two unopened ones, a partially full cup of beer, and a metal container with white pills she claimed belonged to her husband. The pills were confiscated for destruction, though no drug charges were filed.
After agreeing to a breathalyzer test, Johnson was transported to the State Highway Patrol Post but could not complete it, resulting in a refusal designation. Plans for a urine test were delayed when she required medical clearance at Adena Regional Medical Center due to the crash. Time constraints ultimately prevented the test’s completion.
Johnson, of unspecified address, was cited for OVI and assured clear distance.