Oconee Blotter: Audi motorist rammed by Dodge three times before it fled the scene

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office reported the following incidents:

SHOPLIFTING CHARGE: On Jan. 20, Cpl. Quinton NeSmith was inside the loss prevention office writing a report on a shoplifting case, when the LPO notified him that a woman was currently at the checkout and “ticket switching” her merchandise. She was using a cheaper barcode to purchase some clothing. When the 25-year-old Athens woman finished, she was confronted. She confessed to her crime.

DUI CHARGED: On Jan. 23, Cpl. Kenji Dorsey was patrolling when he observed a vehicle cross the center line at the Oconee Connector. A traffic stop was made and the 46-year-old Canon man explained he was tired. When asked to do roadside sobriety tests, the man explained he couldn’t because he had injuries from being hit by train. However, he did some tests when Sgt. Christopher Higginbotham arrived. He admitted using some oxycodone and was charged with DUI.

ROAD RAGE: On Jan. 27, Deputy Annessa Glenn met with a 26-year-old Hartwell man, who explained he was traveling on Highway 316 near Dials Mill Extension when he changed lanes to get around a slower moving blue 2004 Dodge vehicle. After he pulled back over into the lane, the Dodge drove up quickly behind him and slammed the rear of his Audi three times. The Dodge left the scene of the wreck. The Hartwell man, whose wife was a passenger, was able to provide a description of the other driver.

RAM STOLEN: On Jan. 29, a 49-year-old Rome man reported that a 2015 Ram 3500, was stolen at a location on Commerce Court, an area near U.S. Highway 78 and Mars Hill Road.

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FENCE DAMAGED: On Jan. 23, Deputy William Reynolds was dispatched to Briar Lakes Road for a report of a Toyota RAV4 striking a fence and leaving the scene. Then a 911 call came in reporting a RAV4 swerving on Hodges Mill Road. When Reynolds reached the road, he saw vehicles backed up due to the suspect vehicle going about 30 mph. After activating emergency equipment, the Toyota stopped in a driveway. He walked up to the vehicle and observed a woman with watery, glassy eyes and an empty bottle of liquor in the console. The 67-year-old Covington woman denied hitting a fence, but couldn’t say how much alcohol she consumed. The woman, who was charged with DUI, explained she was trying to get to a friend’s house.

WANTED MAN: On Jan. 25, Deputy Christopher Haag was on patrol when he received a FLOCK notification that a 2014 Dodge Challenger was entering the county on Highway 316 and the registered owner was a wanted man. Haag made a traffic stop and although the driver was not the owner, this man was also wanted on warrants from Madison and Elbert counties. The 31-year-old Comer man was taken to jail.

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DRUGS FOUND: On Jan. 26, Deputy Annessa Glenn responded to a report of a reckless driver seen on Summit Grove Drive, Watkinsville. She found the Chevrolet Silverado at the end of the road where he was stuck in a dirt mound. The 38-year-old man, who said he was from Snellville, then changed it to Braselton, had a blank look on his face. The man was arrested on a DUI charge. However, during a search of the vehicle, deputies found some Clonazepam, Alprazolam, Lorazepam, Gabapentin and Hydrochloride. Drug charges were also filed.

WANTED WOMAN: On Jan. 26, Deputy Dustin Mines was dispatched to the parking lot of Walmart, where a 48-year-old Athens woman reported that she was beside her car when another car attempted to park, but it hit a shopping cart and pushed it into her. The other woman, a 57-year-old Athens woman, was deaf, but she and the deputy communicated through their cell phones. The officer discovered she was wanted on a warrant from Elberton, so she was taken into custody.

DRUGS CHARGED: On Jan. 26, Deputy Dustin Mines observed a Ford Econoline van and upon running the tag he discovered the registration was cancelled. After a traffic stop along U.S. Highway 441 near Spartan Lane, the driver, a 62-year-old man from Colbert, provided a Georgia Department of Corrections ID card. A drug sniffing dog from Barrow County was brought to the location. The female passenger, a 31-year-old Commerce woman, was wanted on an Oconee County warrant, while the driver was wanted on a warrant from Clarke County. Some drug paraphernalia was found in the van, along with a syringe containing methamphetamine. Both suspects denied knowledge of the syringe. They were taken to jail.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Oconee Blotter: Hartwell couple rammed in rear after passing car