Middletown man arrested for OVI after short chase

Middletown police say a man who was found passed out in the driver’s seat of a car sped off at a high rate of speed before being apprehended Thursday morning.

Police responded to South University Boulevard and Woodlawn Avenue at about 6:02 a.m. on a report of a man passed out behind another car at the stop light.

Middletown paramedics were already there as police arrived before entering the car with tinted windows, according to police.

Police found a man passed out in the driver’s seat with the doors locked while the vehicle appeared to be in gear.

Police were able to wake the driver, according to the report. The driver put his foot on the gas and drove away from officers at a high rate of speed. As he drove off, the car struck a curb as well as a street sign turning from eastbound Woodlawn onto southbound University Boulevard, according to police.

The driver, Justin Castleman, 36, of Middletown, was apprehended near Highland Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard.

Police said Castleman appeared to be intoxicated and agreed to submit to field sobriety tests. After one test, Castleman refused to do any additional tests and was taken into custody.

Castleman was arraigned Friday in Middletown Municipal Court on charges of OVI, obstruction of official business and reasonable control.

He is free on bond. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Sept. 13.

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