Concerned citizen stops DWI in progress

Katherine Sarah Welch, 49, of Nederland was indicted on Jan. 24 for driving while intoxicated, a thirddegree felony, now marking the 10th offense of charges related to driving while intoxicated within Jefferson County.

At the time of her arrest, Welch was reportedly driving her black BMW recklessly in the area of Helena Avenue and North 27th Street on Nov. 24, 2021, just after 2 p.m. when Nederland Police Department Officer Layne Verdine made contact with the driver.

“I observed the black BMW to be parked at the red light,” the officer reported. A bystander was trying to remove the keys to stop the suspected drunk driver from futher recklessness. “A witness advised Welch had swerved all over the road and drove into oncoming traffic for an extended period of time.”

Katherine Welch, a.k.a. Katherine Taylor, a.k.a. Katy Pope, reported to the officer that she had not consumed any alcoholic beverages that day, nor had she taken any type of narcotics, answering the officer’s instructions with slurred speech while she swayed back and forth standing in place.

According to the record of indictment, Welch’s criminal history includes:

• June 2, 2023, convicted of attempt to obtain a controlled substance by fraud

• May 19, 1997, convicted of driving while intoxicated in Jefferson County

• Dec. 1, 1998, convicted of driving while intoxicated in Jefferson County

• Feb. 25, 1999, convicted of driving while intoxicated in Jefferson County

• Nov. 29, 1999, convicted of driving while intoxicated in Jefferson County

• June 2, 2003, convicted to three offenses related to driving while intoxicated in Jefferson County

• Oct. 17, 2011, convicted of two offenses related to driving while intoxicated in Jefferson County