In the early morning hours of September 23, 2023, Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call concerning an intoxicated driver at a Joe Bob’s gas station in Como, Texas. The driver was later identified as Jason Marc Loban, 53, from Pickton, Texas.
Witnesses at the scene reported that Loban had been driving erratically, swerving all over the road before pulling into the gas station. The witnesses prevented him from getting back into his vehicle after he openly admitted to being intoxicated.
Upon the deputies' arrival, Loban confessed to having driven from Sulphur Springs to Como and acknowledged that he should not have been behind the wheel. To assess his sobriety, deputies conducted Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, which Loban failed. His unsteadiness and swaying during the tests led to the omission of the One Leg Stand evaluation. During the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test, Loban momentarily deviated from instructions, putting his hands in front of him and exclaiming, "take me to jail." However, he continued to participate in the test. Subsequently, Loban was taken into custody on charges of Driving While Intoxicated.
A criminal background check revealed that Loban had two prior convictions for Driving While Intoxicated. He was then transported to Hopkins County Jail, where he was read the DIC-24 Statutory Warning. Loban refused to consent to a blood specimen, leading authorities to seek a blood search warrant, which was subsequently approved. He was transported to a local hospital for a blood draw and later returned to Hopkins County Jail for processing.
Jason Marc Loban now faces charges of Driving While Intoxicated, 3rd Offense or More. He remains in custody at Hopkins County Jail pending legal proceedings.
