A Bowling Green driver who reportedly drew police attention due to the loud exhaust of his truck was arrested for drunken driving.
On Friday at 2:35 a.m., an officer was on patrol in the 100 block of North Main Street. While at a red light at East Court Street, a pickup truck turned left in from of the officer onto southbound North Main and accelerated rapidly, emitting a loud exhaust noise unusual to the normal operation.
The officer turned the cruiser around to got behind the vehicle, which was a large Chevrolet Silverado with a lift kit and very large tires. It had a personalized plate, according to the Bowling Green Police Division report.
The truck intermittently swerved in its lane and as it accelerated rapidly for a short moment, it emitted a black cloud of smoke from the exhaust.
The truck continued swerving within its lane while going southbound and after passing Circle K, it drove onto the dividing white line for the two southbound lanes, according to the report. At Gypsy Lane Road, the traffic light turned to yellow and the pickup truck briefly pressed the brakes. There was enough time for the vehicle to safely come to a stop at the light, but the truck then accelerated rapidly to try and make it through the light before it turned red. The traffic light turned red just as the truck was at the stop bar or just barely past it, according to the report.
At that point, the officer activated the cruiser’s overhead emergency lights to go through the intersection and conduct a traffic stop. The truck continued heading southbound in the left lane at approximately 35 mph, according to the report.
The truck continued past the Walmart entrance/exit. The officer activated the siren a few times to get the pickup truck to pull over and stop.
It continued southbound until just before the left turn lane to enter Home Depot. The truck put its right turn signal on and started to move over. The officer continued to activate the siren but the truck still did not stop, according to the report. It entered the right lane and eventually turned onto Colony Lane.
It took approximately 57 seconds for the truck to come to a stop after the overhead emergency lights were activated, according to the report.
The driver was identified as Matthew Purdy. He had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and slow movements, according to the report.
He failed numerous field sobriety tests, according to the report.
He was transported to the police station, where he refused a breath test. He had three prior OVI convictions, in 2016, 2011 and 2009.
A warrant for a blood draw was obtained and he was taken to Wood County Hospital before being transported to jail.
Purdy, 31, was arrested for OVI, OVI (prior refusal in last 20 years), cracking exhaust/peeling, muffler/excessive noise and marked lanes.
