Drunk Woman and her Super Drunk Passenger Frustrate Cops Repeatedly

Around 9:14 PM on March 18, 2024, Patrolman Robert Bernauer with the Mount Ephraim Police Department was on patrol in the area of 7 Eleven (521 W Kings Highway). He heard the sound of metal scraping the ground, and shortly after he observed a red 2007 Honda Fit stopped in the middle of the westbound lane at Grant Avenue. The driver appeared confused, and her passenger looked like he was slumped over. Shortly afterwards, Patrolman Bernauer activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop.

He approached from the driver side and made contact with the driver, who was identified as Talli Askins. As he was speaking with Talli, he detected the odor of alcohol and observed indicators of impairment. Her passenger, later identified as Leonard Johanesen, also appeared to be in a state of inebriation. Talli initially thought that her vehicle was running out of gas, and Patrolman Bernauer observed open containers of Kasser vodka and Hennessy near the center console. Based on his suspicion of impairment, Talli was asked to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises. She claimed that she did not drink very much earlier that evening, before later admitting that she had a few shots.

Patrolman Bernauer started with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. During the HGN test, he observed the lack of smooth pursuit, distinct and sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation, and the onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degrees. He even observed vertical gaze nystagmus. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test, which she was unable to perform. The final exercise was the One Leg Stand test. During the One Leg Stand test, Talli failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion and put her foot down before the test was complete.

Based on her erratic driving, the odor of alcohol, her admission to consuming alcohol earlier that evening, and her inability to satisfactorily perform the field sobriety exercises, Talli was placed under arrest for operating under the influence. Her passenger Leonard repeatedly tried to frustrate the officers around this time, and Talli was very uncooperative as Patrolman Joseph Vogt placed her inside Sergeant Jason Dobleman’s patrol car. Talli was initially transported to the nearby Audubon Police Department for the administration of the breath test. The vehicle was impounded for a 12-hour hold according to John’s Law.

At the Audubon Police Department, Talli was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators, and agreed to submit breath samples. Her Alcotest results indicated a BAC level of 0.22%, which was nearly triple the legal limit of 0.08%. After the Alcotest was complete, she was transported to the Mount Ephraim Police Department for further processing. After the officers finished processing her, Talli was eventually released to her Leonard’s sister Lisa Johanesen pending her court appearance after she signed the Potential Liability Warning form on Talli’s behalf.

Talli was issued the following traffic tickets:

-Operating under the influence (39:4-50)

-Reckless driving (39:4-96)

-Driving without a license (39:3-10)

-Delaying traffic (39:4-56)

-Obstruction of windshield (39:3-74)

-Open container (39:4-51B)

Court records indicate that on August 22, 2024, a warrant was issued by the court and bail was set in the amount of $1,450. The warrant remains outstanding as of April 16, 2026.

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