(La Porte County, IN) - A man with a history of driving impaired was arrested yesterday after rolling his vehicle outside La Porte.

Jesus Bermudez-Gomez, 44, suffered only minor injuries in the crash in the 2500 block of East Indiana 4. Police said a female witness traveling behind him saw his pick-up truck veer into a ditch and return to the two lane highway.  She said the vehicle then crossed the center line. Responding officers then found the truck in the roadway on its passenger side.

According to authorities, Gomez said one of the tires on his vehicle popped but nothing appeared to be wrong with any of his tires. Gomez also claimed to have consumed four beers.  The driver allegedly refused a certified blood alcohol test after blowing into a portable breathalyzer that recorded a .178 blood alcohol level.

He was arrested for operating while intoxicated and driving as a habitual traffic violator, which are both Level 6 Felonies. Prior records show Gomez has had “numerous” prior OWI convictions with his last being in February of last year.