Oconee Blotter: Trucker driving wrong way on bypass charged with DUI
The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office reported the following incidents:
FELONY WARRANT: On Oct. 21, Deputy Bill Reynolds was patrolling at the Oconee Connector when a passing Chevrolet Impala caught his attention because music was blaring loudly. He watched the car and noticed that when it braked for traffic, one of the brake lights was not working. After conducting a traffic stop, he discovered that the 30-year-old Athens man driving the car was wanted on felony warrants out of Walton County and traffic offenses in Chamblee. He was taken to jail.
HIT AND RUN: On Oct. 21, Deputy Baer Schiffer was dispatched to a location on Union Church Road, where a wedding had taken place. A 38-year-old Floyd County man reported that he heard a crashing sound then saw that a small Jeep had backed into his car. He attempted to get the woman’s attention, but she drove off. People at the wedding were able to identify the driver as a 35-year-old Statham woman. The deputy called her home and the woman said she thought she hit a pole. She was later cited for striking an unattended vehicle.
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FELON WITH GUN: On Oct. 21, Deputy Annessa Glenn was dispatched to a location on Old Farm Road, Watkinsville, where gunfire was reported in a neighborhood. The deputy located the shooter, who smelled strongly of alcohol. The 68-year-old man explained he had shot at a coyote because his dog was scared. The man was carrying the gun in his waistband, but when Glenn determined he was a convicted felon, he was placed in custody for having a firearm.
DANGEROUS DRIVING: On Oct. 23, Deputy Annessa Glenn was dispatched shortly before midnight to the Athens Perimeter in regards to a lookout posted by Athens-Clarke police about a large tractor-trailer truck traveling the wrong way on the loop. An off-duty Chamblee police officer made a traffic stop on the truck, but she informed the deputy that she had to drive over 100 mph to catch up to the truck. The driver, a 61-year-old Gillsville man, had slurred speech and explained he had been driving for more than 14 hours, which was in violation of the hours of service for a commercial driver. The trucker explained he was traveling the wrong way as the roads were confusing. The man, who smelled of alcohol, said he thought he was in Oglethorpe County. The man read 0.17 on a breath test. An open bottle of Crown Royal was found in the truck, but the driver said it was left there by a friend. The trucker was charged with DUI.
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STOLEN CAR: On Oct. 22, Deputy Robert Perrin was dispatched to meet with a 23-year-old Athens man, who said his father borrowed his silver 2006 Honda CRV on Oct. 21 to go to work. The vehicle broke down and his father left it parked on the side of Georgia Highway 316 near McNutt Creek Road. When they came to retrieve the vehicle on this day, it was gone.
SPEEDER NABBED: On Oct. 22, Deputy Annessa Glenn was dispatched to investigate numerous complaints about a man speeding on a motorcycle in the area of Flat Rock Road. The deputy arrived and could hear the revving of the motorcycle, so made a traffic stop on the 19-year-old man who lived in the area. The teen was upset due to just finding out is girlfriend was cheating on him. The idea of his girlfriend with another man made him emotional and he admitted it caused his reckless behavior. During the interview, the man commented, “I was going 180” and “I could’ve run from you if I wanted to.” The man did not have a motorcycle license, nor did the bike have a license plate. He was taken into custody.
SILVERADO CRASH: On Oct. 24, Deputy Lex Ogan was dispatched at about 1:20 a.m. to a a crash on the Athens Perimeter, where a Chevrolet Silverado crashed. Ogan arrived to find the truck heavily damaged, with the frame bent and the top crushed as if it overturned. The 20-year-old driver refused medical attention, but explained his brakes went out, then later he said someone had braked in front of him. The man reeked of alcohol, but he denied drinking. He explained he had been at Dooley’s Bar & Grill in Athens, where he had a cheese, ham and bacon sandwich. After leaving, he said a car braked in front of him and he swerved to avoid a collision. Later the man said he was unsure what happened. After a series of roadside sobriety tests, the man was charged with DUI and underage possession of tobacco.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Oconee Blotter: Convicted felon arrested after shooting a coyote
