LAFOLLETTE, TN. (WLAF)- LaFollette Police Officer Anthony Mahar was on patrol on Jan. 30 around 7:30 pm when he saw a car cross the yellow line.

The driver, later identified as Belinda Sue Benge, was driving a 1990 blue Chevrolet with antique tags. Mahar used his emergency lights in an attempt to stop the vehicle, but Benge allegedly didn’t stop and continued to swerve.

Mahar turned on his sirens, and Benge made a movement like she was going to pull over; she slowed down and would then allegedly pull back into the lane and speed up. She did this about four times still refusing to stop, according to a LPD report.

Mahar was eventually able to get Benge stopped and approached the vehicle. He asked Benge to exit the vehicle. Her eyes were bloodshot, her pupils were allegedly dilated, her clothes were loose and her shirt was half tucked in, the report said. Mahar said Benge was talking, but he was having trouble understanding and following the conversation due to her jumping around in her stories.

While she was walking to Mahar’s vehicle, she was not following his instruction. Benge was told to stand in front of Mahar’s vehicle yet she wouldn’t stand in the location he told her to. Mahar told Benge that he suspected she was under the influence and asked her if she would do standardized field sobriety tests. After allegedly performing unsatisfactorily on the test, she was arrested. Benge also refused to give a blood sample for testing.

Benge, 52, 246 Patty Hill Road, Caryville was charged with driving under the influence (DUI), failure to maintain lane, drivers to exercise due care, violation registration law and violation implied consent law.

(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 2/8/2024- 6AM)

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