A man who had prompted several calls to deputies over two days was arrested after an officer found him standing near a busy road, staring at streetlights and seemingly unaware of traffic around him.
Residents had reported that the man appeared confused and was wandering through the Burlington area. One woman said he approached her home and asked to use her shower. She declined to let him inside but gave him food before asking him to leave.
A deputy had spoken with the man about an hour earlier and called EMS to check on him. The man declined transport, signed the necessary paperwork and was allowed to continue walking. Another officer had also encountered him walking along the highway the previous night.
Deputy Checks on Him Again
When a deputy located the man near the Burlington S-curve, he appeared to avoid the officer and continued walking despite being asked to stop.
The deputy said the man’s eyes were red and glassy and that his speech was slow and difficult to understand. He did not smell alcohol.
The man declined an offer of help or a ride and continued down the road. With no outstanding warrants and little information about what was causing his behavior, the deputy initially told him to watch for traffic and let him go.
About three minutes later, the deputy drove around the curve and spotted the man again. This time, he was standing near a driveway, staring up at the streetlights.
A nearby resident flagged down the deputy. When the officer approached the man, he appeared not to notice until the deputy was just a few feet away.
According to the report, the man then nearly stepped in front of a passing vehicle as the deputy directed him toward the patrol car.
The deputy arrested Kirk Woodrum for disorderly conduct by intoxication, explaining that he believed Woodrum was at risk of being seriously injured or killed by traffic if he continued walking in that condition.
Woodrum was transported to the Lawrence County Jail pending arraignment. The report does not identify what, if any, substance caused his apparent impairment.