Man Passed Out in Drive-Thru Charged with 3rd DWI

LONGVIEW — A Gladewater man was arrested on a driving while intoxicated charge after police said he was found passed out in his truck in the Whataburger drive-thru. Leon Charles Gearhart, 49 was released from jail on $5,000 bond, charged with driving while intoxicated, third offense. Longview Police arrested Gearhart around 2:45 Tuesday morning after a Whataburger employee in the 2400 block of Gilmer Road reported that a man was passed out in his vehicle in the drive-thru.

Officials said when police arrived, Gearhart was found asleep in a truck with the vehicle still in drive. The officer put the truck in park, turned off the truck and woke up the driver. Police said he refused part of a sobriety test. Gearhart was transported to the jail for suspicion of driving while intoxicated and a mandatory blood sample was drawn because he had two prior convictions.