A Smithville man allegedly driving under the influence was arrested Tuesday in Putnam County after asking a state trooper for directions and then trying to elude officers in a pursuit.
According to the Herald-Citizen, 27 year old Christopher B. Tatrow was charged with driving under the influence, evading arrest, leaving the scene of an accident, registration violation, no insurance, no driver’s license on his person, driving through the median, two counts of not properly stopping, a signal on a hill violation, a turning on a hill violation, following too closely, seatbelt violation, two counts of improper passing, having an open container and possession of drug paraphernalia after a search of his vehicle turned up three pipes used for smoking drugs.
THP Trooper Mark Miller said the incident began when Tatrow stopped him to ask for directions at a bridge crossing Interstate 40 near mile marker 295.
According to the report, Trooper Miller saw that Tatrow had a Mike’s Hard Liquor and observed that his speech was slurred and eyes were red and watery.
After Trooper Miller asked him to stand in front of the patrol car, Tatrow instead got in his vehicle and drove away. Tatrow later crashed at mile marker 294 westbound on I-40 after a tire blew out but he kept going until he ran over a spike strip on Highway 70 in Cookeville near the intersection of Old Kentucky Road and Hudgens Street.
After the vehicle finally was disabled, Tatrow got out and tried to run away behind a row of townhouses.
After a short foot pursuit, he was taken into custody.
Tatrow reportedly told Trooper Miller that he was wanted on charges in DeKalb County and that he needed to go to the hospital.
Tatrow submitted to a blood draw to determine the level of intoxicant in his system at the time of the incident.
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