Rep. Jim Lucas arrested for alleged DWI, leaving crash scene

Jun. 2—Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, was arrested in the early morning hours Wednesday for allegedly driving while intoxicated and leaving an accident in Jackson County.

Sgt. Stephen Wheeles of the Indiana State Police told The (Seymour) Tribune the 58-year-old lawmaker crashed his car just north of Seymour around midnight Tuesday. Police say he drove away, stopped at another location near Rockford, then was found on foot nearby, where he was arrested by state police and taken to the Brownstown jail around 4 a.m. Wednesday.

According to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office website, he was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated; operating a vehicle while intoxicated-endangerment; and leaving the scene of a property damage crash. Lucas was released just before 8 a.m. Wednesday on a $705 bond.

Wheeles told The Tribune a toxicology report was not yet available.

In the Indiana House of Representatives, Lucas is known as a proponent of gun rights and marijuana legalization. In the most recent legislative session, he authored an unsuccessful bill seeking to increase the production capacity of artisan distillers.

Lucas has represented House District 69 — including parts of Bartholomew, Jackson, Washington and Scott counties — since 2012. He has previously landed in the news for his controversial social-media presence.