Intoxicated men claim dog drove vehicle into ditch

Tahlequah police arrested two Tulsa men and impounded their dog after one of the men claimed the canine was driving their mini-van and caused it to become stuck in a ditch.

A Tahlequah police officer responded to reports of a vehicle stuck in a ditch last Saturday, where he found William D. McDonald, 65, in the driver’s seat of the mini-van. Steven B. Schofield, 42, was a passenger.

McDonald first told police he and Schofield had pulled over because they were tired, and when they tried to turn around, the van became stuck. “I asked who was driving the vehicle and both of them denied even driving the vehicle,” said Donnell. “McDonald stated that the dog was driving the vehicle and that was why they had gotten stuck.”
Donnell said both men smelled of alcohol and appeared to be drunk. Both had trouble standing without assistance and had poor hand-to-eye coordination. McDonald and Schofield were taken to the city jail for public intoxication charges. Police also found a loaded 12-gauge shotgun in the van. The vehicle could not be moved from the scene without a wrecker. The dog was taken to the city pound.