Effingham County Arrest of DUI, Deputy Hit-and-Run Suspect
There was much media attention over the recent search for a drunk driving suspect who was wanted for allegedly running over a deputy. According to an article, the man was found and arrested in Effingham County. Based on authorities’ statements, the man was stopped on US 1 for suspicion of drunk driving and allegedly failed a field sobriety test.
Before the deputy could arrest the suspect for DUI, the suspect reportedly jumped in his truck. When the officer tried to reach into the truck while the man began to drive away, the officer lost his balance and was run over by the truck after falling to the ground. Apparently, the deputy suffered major injuries and said that he had arrested this particular suspect many times before on alcohol-related charges. This time, the man may face charges relating to battery, aggravated assault, DUI, and perhaps even more offenses considering that he fled the scene of an accident and Police.
Drunk driving incidents in Georgia are not as clear-cut as many people may think. First of all, field sobriety tests can be unreliable in providing an accurate determination that a motorist is in fact intoxicated. In any case, if you find yourself pulled-over and are asked to perform a field sobriety test, you may have to perform the one leg stand, the horizontal gaze nystagmus test, and the walk and turn test. However, these tests are often left to the subjective interpretation of an officer. In some situations, a driver may not fully understand a test’s instructions or may have problems with all or at least one of the tests due to a physical disability, yet, he or she may still be arrested for drunk driving.
Being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs can be an intimidating experience, especially when a person is not thoroughly familiar with his or her legal rights. In such situations, it may be in the best interest of a suspect arrested for DUI in Georgia to obtain the legal advice and representation of an experienced Atlanta DUI defense attorney.
Considering that you only have 10 business days from the date of your DUI arrest to request an administrative hearing before the Georgia Department of Motor Vehicle Safety, and that this is a separate court date that you may have received on your citation, time is of the essence to successfully challenge your Georgia driver’s license suspension.
Skilled criminal defense lawyers have been defending the rights of those arrested for DUI offenses for many years, making sure that the validity of evidence and tests is examined thoroughly.