Gibson County Police: Arizona Man Charged with DUI Needed Sternum Rubs to Wake Up

Source: Gibson County Sheriff’s Office

GIBSON COUNTY, Ind.–An Arizona man was arrested this week on a DUI charge.

The Gibson County Sheriff’s Office says 25-year-old Brandon Tacheene of Cameron, Arizona was spotted swerving all over U.S. 41 just before 3 am on February 23 in a 2004 white Chevy Silverado pickup truck.

Gibson County Sheriff Bruce Vanoven says a Deputy was able to spot the truck just before 3:45 am on U.S. 41 with Tacheene passed out behind the wheel while the truck was running.

“He knocked on the window like a deputy would do when approaching a vehicle like that. He couldn’t wake the driver. He opened the vehicle door and tried to shake the guy. He wouldn’t wake up,” said Vanoven.

Vanoven said the deputy did what’s called a sternum rub.

“Basically, you take your knuckles and rub it up and down a sternum. There’s not a lot of flesh there or fat. Normally a person wakes up pretty quick, but with this man (Tacheene), it took a while. It’s not fun to have done on you,” said Vanoven.

The deputy called for medics and administered several more sternum rubs.

“Slowly while that was happening, the driver woke up and the deputy ratcheted things back and started picking up clues that the driver was intoxicated,” said Vanoven.

The deputy’s roadside DUI investigation determined that Tacheene was intoxicated. Tacheene was taken to the Gibson County Jail where he was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

You can hear the full interview with Vanoven below.