Illinois woman exits a Gary casino and drives 36 miles the wrong way. Then she allegedly reveals why she called police “on herself” to a state trooper
A 42-year-old woman from Illinois faces multiple charges after she called 911 on herself while allegedly driving drunk in the wrong direction. Meisha Thomas was taken into custody over the weekend following events that began with a confusing call to emergency dispatchers and ended with a battery charge involving a state trooper, according to Law & Crime.
Indiana State Police said she is preliminarily charged with one count each of battery against a public safety official and reckless driving, along with two counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. The situation kicked off early Sunday, when Thomas reportedly called 911 on herself while sounding highly intoxicated and providing erratic information to dispatchers.
Dispatchers tracked her location from the 911 call and found her traveling south on Interstate 65 near the 240-mile marker. A state trooper spotted the vehicle as it crossed into Jasper County. Police said it was moving between 30 and 50 mph in a 70 mph zone, swerving between lanes and forcing other drivers to brake or take evasive action.
Police say she was 36 miles in the wrong direction when the trooper pulled her over
When the trooper turned on emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop, the car did not pull over right away. It eventually stopped in the left lane of the interstate. Upon approaching the vehicle, the trooper observed that Thomas had slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, poor coordination, and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage, police said.
She told the officer she had just left a casino in Gary, Indiana, and was trying to get home to Chicago. However, investigators later determined she had driven about 36 miles in the wrong direction, heading south on I-65 and away from the city.
The trooper determined that Thomas could not safely complete a field sobriety test. As she allegedly refused to comply with the state implied consent law, investigators obtained a search warrant for a blood draw, which took place at a nearby hospital. The encounter reportedly became even more complicated due to her behavior toward the officer.
Police said Thomas made repeated inappropriate sexual comments and physical advances toward the arresting trooper, including allegedly attempting to kiss him while he was securing her in a seatbelt. Despite being told multiple times to stop, she allegedly continued making kissing gestures, sounds, and suggestive remarks. One of these incidents allegedly led to the battery charge, a Level 6 felony.
The woman who called 911 on herself was booked into the Jasper County Jail following the incident. It was not immediately clear when she was scheduled to appear in court, as police have not said whether she was given bail.
Refusing that test in Indiana could cost her a year without a license
Indiana’s implied consent law treats every driver as having already agreed to a chemical test as a condition of operating a vehicle. Per the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, refusing a certified breath test results in an automatic one-year license suspension. That suspension can stretch to two years for drivers with a prior conviction for operating while intoxicated.
The felony count carries the heaviest potential penalty, as the other three are misdemeanors. Under Indiana law, a Level 6 felony is punishable by six months to two and a half years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. However, Thomas has only been preliminarily charged, and she is presumed innocent unless a court finds her guilty.
Police have not said when results from the hospital blood draw are expected, and those results could shape the two intoxication counts as Jasper County prosecutors review the 911 call and the rest of the case.
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