(Fremont County) The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office responded to two separate motor vehicle collisions involving impaired drivers on Friday, both of whom had prior Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) convictions.
At approximately 3:20 PM, deputies were dispatched to the area of 190th Street and 350th Avenue, east of Sidney, for a one-vehicle accident. Upon arrival, deputies located a 2019 Chevrolet Colorado, which had sustained total loss damage.
The driver, Gary Redinbaugh, 51, of Persia, Iowa, was suspected of being intoxicated. During the investigation, Redinbaugh advised deputies that he believed he was near Harlan, Iowa, approximately 90 miles from the crash site. He was placed under arrest and charged with OWI 2nd Offense and Failure to Maintain Control.
Sidney Fire and Rescue assisted deputies at the scene. Redinbaugh is currently being held at the Fremont County Jail.
Later that evening, at approximately 6:35 PM, deputies received a report of a hit-and-run in Thurman. The caller stated that a vehicle had struck a parked pickup truck and fled the scene.
At approximately 6:59 PM, deputies located a 2016 Red Ford Escape with front-end damage, which had gone into the ditch in the 1500 block of Highway 275.
The driver, Leslie Evans, 45, of Atlantic, Iowa, was suspected of being intoxicated. During questioning, Evans told deputies she believed she was near Fontenelle, Iowa, also 90 miles from the actual crash location. She was arrested and charged with OWI 3rd or Subsequent Offense, Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Accident, and Operation of a Vehicle Without an Interlock Device.
Evans was taken into custody without further incident and is being held at the Fremont County Jail.
The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office has made impaired driving enforcement a mission priority for 2025 in an effort to make county roads safer. The department has expanded its resources to address impaired driving by adding a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) and deputies trained in Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE) to its team. “Sheriff’s deputies remain dedicated to removing impaired drivers from the road and preventing tragedies caused by intoxicated driving.”
Anyone who witnesses suspected impaired driving is encouraged to call 911 immediately.
