Eight people were charged with drunken driving in Screven County last week, including a 15-year-old Sylvania girl without a license who scored twice the legal limit for alcohol and had six passengers, including two small, unsecured children.
Trooper 1st Class R.M. Sowell of the Georgia State Patrol was conducting a license and registration check at 11:30 p.m. Friday night, Aug. 27, at Ogeechee Road and Highway 17 when he stopped a car driven by the girl.
Among the six passengers were a small child and an infant who were not restrained. The driver blew .168 on a breath test, twice the legal limit of .08, a report on the arrest said.
She was charged with: driving under the influence; two counts of endangering a child; no seatbelt; child restraint violation; no license; and possession of an alcoholic beverage.
It was one of three drunken driving arrests made by the State Patrol in Screven County last week. Five additional drunken driving arrests were made last week by Sylvania Police officers.
In another case, a woman who blew past a road check on Highway 301 without slowing or stopping was surprised to learn she wasn’t in South Carolina anymore and asked for directions to return to her home state.
Sylvania Police took Denise M. Wilson, 33, of Captain Bill Road in Ridgeland, S.C., to jail instead.
The police department was conducting a license and registration check at 11:08 p.m. Saturday night, Aug. 28, on Highway 301, in front of the Village Green Motel. A Chevy Tahoe approached the check point but didn’t slow or stop. Officer Mike Dickerson pursued and stopped the car on N. Main Street.
The driver’s speech was slurred and she asked where she was. When Dickerson told her Sylvania, Ga., she said, “I’m not in South Carolina.” She asked how to get back to South Carolina.
Dickerson said he saw a small, wide-eyed child in a car seat behind the driver. The child was 2 years old.
Wilson cursed and screamed that she was going home. She tried to kick the glass out of the patrol car. She was charged with: driving under the influence of alcohol; child endangerment; and willfully obstructing or hindering law enforcement officers.
In another arrest, an 18-year-old who was a star athlete at Screven County High School was arrested for drunken driving after the football game on Friday, Aug. 27.
When a Sylvania Police officer stopped Cornelius Roberts, of Cab Drive, at the high school because his music was loud, the officer noticed a smell of alcohol. Roberts failed a breath test and was arrested and charged with driving under the influence under 21. Three other young men in his vehicle were not charged with anything, said Cpl. Romearo Gordon.
In April, Roberts signed a letter of intent with Milestone Preparatory Academy in Chattanooga, Tenn., a one-year prep school, where he was to take part in track and field and play basketball.
Last track season, Roberts captured the state championship for the long jump and triple jump in Class AA. He was the state runner-up for the high jump. During Roberts’ senior basketball season, he averaged 16.2 points a game for a season total of 389 points. He also blocked 33 shots during the campaign.
In other drunken driving arrests last week:
Aug. 28 – Brantley Joseph Gill, 47, Westview Apartments – driving under the influence of alcohol; seat belt violation. Stopped by Sylvania Police for not wearing a seat belt.
Aug. 28 – Cuyler Sanders III, 26, Runs Branch Road – driving under the influence of alcohol; possession of open alcohol container; driving while license suspended or revoked, second offense or subsequent. Arrested after Sylvania Police Department driver’s license check on Twin Oaks at the city limits. He pulled behind a house and fled into the woods on foot, but surrendered after his wife, who didn’t want their vehicle towed, called for him.
Aug. 28 – James Keith Loyd, 51, Airport Road – driving under the influence; failure to maintain lane. Georgia State Patrol arrest.
Aug. 28 – Brett Allen Dunbar, 21, Swam Road, Varnville, S.C. – driving under the influence; speeding 93 in a 55-mile-an-hour zone. Georgia State Patrol arrest.
Aug. 29 – Wilbert David Oliver, 57, Village Road – driving under the influence of alcohol. Arrested after Sylvania Police Department driver’s license check on W. Ogeechee Road at Cotton Tire.