Woman Arrested for OVI After Crashing into Rehab Van in Portsmouth, Ohio

Around 7:18 PM on March 14, 2024, Officer Samuel Mays with the Portsmouth Police Department responded to a report of a motor vehicle collision involving a 2015 Volkswagen Touareg and 2012 GMC van on 11th Street near the intersection of Clay Street. As the officers arrived on scene, they noticed that the Volkswagen had apparently struck the GMC van from behind. Officer Mays made contact with the driver of the Volkswagen, who was identified as Claudia Hempill, while the other officers spoke with the occupants of the GMC van.
It was learned that the GMC van belonged to Serenity Now Counseling and Treatment, and that all the occupants of the van likely had warrants. One of the males inside the other van was placed under arrest and transported to jail as a result of this. The officers noted the information of the other occupants as well, and first responders arrived on scene to evaluate them further. First responders also evaluated Claudia, but she declined further medical attention. Claudia was asked if she had consumed alcohol before operating the motor vehicle, and she admitted to doing so. Based on the officers’ suspicion of impairment, Claudia was asked to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises.  
The first field sobriety exercise was the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test, and Claudia kept stepping out of the starting position so the test was discontinued. The final exercise was the One Leg Stand test, and Claudia failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion or count aloud as instructed.
Based on the motor vehicle crash, the odor of alcohol, her admission to consuming alcohol, and her inability to adequately perform the field sobriety exercises, Claudia was placed under arrest for OVI. She was subsequently transported to the Portsmouth Police Department and charged with OVI. The BMV 2255 form was read to her, but she refused to submit breath samples for testing. After they finished processing her at the Portsmouth Police Department, Claudia was transported to the Scioto County Jail. 

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