Alcohol contributes to accident
Osgood woman charged with OVI after knocking over gas pump
Wanda English Burnett - Editor

Nichole L. Behne, 26, of Osgood, was arrested Sunday morning, May 29, after she drove through the Day-Nite Food Mart gas pumps in Osgood, causing one pump to overturn and catch fire.

According to Osgood Town Marshal Rodney Stepleton, the incident occurred Sunday morning about 6:00 a.m. when he received a call to respond to the gas pumps at the Day-Nite Food Mart on U.S. 421. When he arrived, the pump was knocked off its foundation and flames were leaping to the top of the roof of the pump area. He quickly extinguished the fire and began investigating the situation.

While officers were on the scene, they received a call noting that an intoxicated female was refusing to leave a residence on Ripley Street in Osgood. When Deputy John Lord arrived to check out the call, he found Nichole Behne had been driving a black Dodge pick up truck that belonged to her boyfriend. She told officers she couldn't remember what happened.

The investigation continued with the paint on the truck matching the pump and Behne was taken to the Ripley County Sheriff's Department to take a breath test. She was formally charged by the Ripley County Prosecutor's Office with Operating Under the Influence and Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Accident on Tuesday, May 31, according to
Prosecutor Ric Hertel.

"This could have turned out to be a major incident," noted Marshal Stepleton, who said all the emergency valves and shut off valves were working properly on the pump, lessening the fire hazard.

He concluded by saying, "operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol will not be tolerated."

The Osgood Fire Department responded to the scene, along with Ripley County Reserve Deputy John Lord.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Members of the Osgood Volunteer Fire Department responded to a call of a gas pump fire about 6:00 a.m. Sunday morning. Osgood's Marshal Rodney Stepleton arrived at the scene first at the Osgood Day Nite Store and quickly extinguished the flames.