Deputies make holiday weekend DWI arrests

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Two drivers are facing charges after allegedly driving while impaired over the holiday weekend.

Jason Todd Bethany, 44, of the 100 block of Sanders Road in Springhill was driving on Porterville Road in Sarepta Sunday when he was seen driving over the solid white fog line and nearly crashing into a ditch, officials said.

Deputies pulled Bethany over and detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage. He was then asked to step outside of the vehicle and had trouble maintaining his balance and walking to the back of the vehicle, according to the report.

Deputies said Bethany’s eyes were bloodshot and glossy and the alcoholic beverage odor intensified while talking to him.

During a standard field sobriety test, Bethany was unable to maintain a starting point durining the walk and turn portion and nearly fell three times, deputies said in the report. He was then told to stop the test after starting before being instructed to, the report said.

Bethany was taken into custody after deputies said he refused to complete the test. While being placed into the patrol unit, he reportedly told deputies that he had been drinking all day, but stopped two hours before being pulled over.

Bethany was then transported to the Webster Parish Courthouse and a breath test indicated he had a blood alcohol content level of .1810, deputies said. He was then transferred to Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center where he was booked on charges of driving while intoxicated (first offense), open container and improper lane usage.

Also on Sunday, deputies arrested Dallas resident George Hubbert, after he reportedly was driving on Interstate 20 under the influence of marijuana.

Hubbert, 65, of the 9000 block of Forest Lane in Dallas, was pulled over around mile marker 45 after deputies say he was driving 83-miles-per-hour in a 70-mile-per-hour zone.

During the traffic stop, deputies said a strong odor of marijuana was coming from the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, deputies found an unspecified amount of marijuana that belonged to the passenger, Carmen Cary, 55, of the 8000 block of Skillman in Dallas, according to the report. Hubbert and Cary were both placed under arrest.

Hubbert reportedly told deputies the two smoked marijuana before leaving Shreveport about 30 minutes earlier. Deputies said Hubbert failed a standard field sobriety test before being transported to BDCC and booked on a driving while intoxicated charge. Cary was booked on possession of Schedule I CDS (marijuana).