State patrol arrests Clark County driver on OVI charge -- his seventh since 1992

SPRINGFIELD — A 57-year-old Clark County driver is scheduled to be in court today (Friday) for his initial appearance on an OVI charge, his seventh since 1992, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

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Daniel Clark Overholser, of Hilltop Avenue in Springfield, has prior convictions in 2017, 2013, 2006, 1996, and 1995 for operating a vehicle impaired in Clark County. He also has an out-of-state OVI conviction from 1992, according to the state patrol.

He was headed north on Lagonda Avenue about 1 a.m. on March 3 when a trooper stopped his yellow Chevy pickup truck because the rear license plate light had “popped out and was shining a bright white light to the rear while the vehicle was in motion,” the trooper said in an Impaired Driver Report filed in Springfield Municipal Court.

“Once the driver opened the door, I immediately detected a strong odor of burnt marijuana,” the trooper said. “I observed a rubber smoking device and a small glass jar with a green leafy substance in the driver’s door pocket. . . . I observed that his eyes were glassy and his pupils were dilated.”

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Overholser refused to perform a one-legged stand, did not submit to a Breath Alcohol Test or urine sample, according to the report. He also had no driver’s license, but did produce a state ID card, according to the report.

The state patrol, after having the truck towed and taking Overholser to a patrol post, released him to a friend and gave him a March 8 court date.

Since 2019, 60,926 OVI-related crashes have occurred on Ohio roadways, according to OSHP statistics from 2019-2023, and these crashes have resulted in 3,225 deaths (53% of all motor vehicle deaths) and more than 37,000 injuries (8% of injuries).

Montgomery (2,918) is among the top four counties that have led the state in OVI-related crashes during the period. Franklin (6,647), Cuyahoga (5,227) and Hamilton (4,521) are the others. These four have accounted for nearly one out f every three OVI-related crashes in Ohio (19,313 or 32%).

The Ohio State Highway Patrol urges concerned motorists to report dangerous or unusual driving behavior to 1-800-GRAB-DUI or #677.

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