On August 8, 2024, at approximately 6:19 PM, a Sulphur Springs police officer responded to reports of a reckless driver heading eastbound on Interstate 30. The officer observed the vehicle struggling to maintain its lane near the 125-mile marker. After initiating a traffic stop, the driver failed to pull over, prompting the officer to activate sirens. The vehicle eventually stopped near the 128-mile marker on Interstate 30 East.
Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer noted that the driver had pinpoint pupils and glassy eyes, suggesting possible intoxication. The driver admitted to consuming Xanax before driving. The officer attempted to conduct the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test, but the driver was unable to perform the Walk and Turn and One Leg Stand tests due to physical limitations. It was concluded that the driver was impaired both mentally and physically.
The officer placed the driver in double-locking handcuffs and arrested her. The DIC-24 statutory warning was read, and a blood sample was requested, which the driver consented to. During an inventory of the vehicle, drug paraphernalia was found in plain sight. A subsequent search revealed two open bottles of liquor behind the driver's seat. The vehicle was impounded by a local towing company.
The driver was transported to Christus Mother Frances Hospital for a blood draw and then to the Hopkins County jail without incident. At the jail, a small pink container was found in the driver’s purse, containing approximately 2.0 grams of a crystal-like substance suspected to be methamphetamine.
The driver, Heather Anne Lindsey, was charged with DWI 3rd or more (F3) and Possession of a Controlled Substance Penalty Group 1/1B >=1G<4G (F3).
