Man driving drunk hits various things on road, is followed by witnesses, say police
Published at | Updated at
The following is a news release from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.
On Wednesday around 7:15 p.m., Bonneville County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the area of First Street and 45th East, where a vehicle had fled the scene of several different collisions. Dispatch advised that the suspect vehicle struck other vehicles, a fence, and a stop sign and had been followed by witnesses to East 17th Street in Ammon.
Callers were able to assist dispatch in guiding deputies to the U-Haul parking lot at 17th Street and Trailwood Drive, where they located the vehicle involved and made contact with the driver. Deputies identified the suspect driver as 45-year-old Micheal Ockerman, of Idaho Falls, and observed several signs of obvious intoxication.
During this time Ockerman admitted to consuming alcohol, and an open container of beer was found inside the vehicle. While deputies were interviewing Ockerman he made several attempts to walk away and go back to his vehicle while refusing commands to stay. Ockerman continued to pull away and struggle with deputies to the point he was taken to the ground and restrained in handcuffs.
Ockerman was placed under arrest at that time for resisting and obstructing, leaving the scene of a property damage crash, and possession of an open container of alcohol, all misdemeanors. Ockerman was also placed under arrest for felony driving under the influence and transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for a blood draw and jail clearance. After completing the blood draw and being medically cleared, Ockerman was transported to the Bonneville County Jail, where he was booked on the aforementioned charges.