The following information is gleaned from incident reports, which are public record, from the Jones County Sheriff’s Department and Gray Police Department Aug. 8-9, 2023.
Aug. 8
Lawn mowers are not allowed to drive on the road
Officer Joiner was on routine patrol when he observed a female driving a lawn mower attempting to pull out onto the roadway near Water Tower Park Blvd. The female driver of the lawn mower had a male toddler in her arms unsecured. Joiner actually stopped the female before she could pull out on to the road and advised her, she could not drive the lawn mower on a public highway especially holding a toddler unsecured. Joiner advised the female that she needed to call someone to come pick them up and someone to come get the lawn mower. The female started to argue with the officer stating she would be careful and just drive it on the shoulder of the road. Joiner advised her she could not do that. The female then called the toddler’s mother to come pick the child up, however she could not find anyone to retrieve the lawn mower. Joiner asked dispatch to have the next available wrecker to come and pick up the lawn mower.
The officer asked the toddler’s mother if she was aware of the female driving a lawn mower with the child and the mother stated that she did not know about this. The female that was driving the lawn mower at one point tried to walk away before the officer was done with her. Joiner explained to the female that this was not the first time she was told to stop driving the lawn mower on public roadways, then he let her leave on foot. The toddler went with its mother.
Aug. 9
Driving with a buzz
Officer Josey received an anonymous call in regard to a vehicle traveling North in the Southbound lanes of Gray Hwy. between Greene Settlement Road and Lite-N-Tie Road. The caller advised the officer that the driver corrected herself when she got to the intersection of Lite-NTie Road. Josey found the vehicle in question and proceeded to get behind the driver. The officer observed the driver having difficulties maintaining lane. Josey activated his blue lights and conducted a traffic stop. When Josey made contact with the female driver, he noticed her eyes were glassy, watery, and her face was pale.
As the driver began to speak to the officer, Josey noticed her speech being very slurred and talked as if she had a thick tongue. The officer asked the female if she had anything to drink or if she had taken any prescription medications and she advised him “no.” Dep. Caldwell with the JCSO pulled up on the scene and Josey asked if he would perform a Field Sobriety Test on the female driver.
Josey had the female exit the vehicle for the test and when she did, she was immediately unsteady on her feet and fell back into the car for balance.
After the female regained her balance, she began to stagger towards the back of her vehicle for the test. As she was standing there, she began to sway from side to side and front to back. Caldwell explained the test to the female and then performed the Field Sobriety Test. After the deputy conducted his test, Josey asked the female if she would mind giving a breath sample on the roadside PBT and she advised she would. That test also came back showing a positive indication of alcohol. The female was then placed in handcuffs and read the Georgia Implied Consent notice verbatim. Josey asked the female driver if she would consent to provide a sample of her blood and she told Josey yes. The officer then notified dispatch to have the on-call nurse for a blood draw. The female was transported to the Jones County LEC and issued three citations for DUI alcohol, DUI alcohol less safe, and failure to maintain lane. Upon the arrival of the nurse, the female saw the needles being pulled out of the blood kit and she began saying “she was not getting stuck with anything.”
Josey double checked with the female that she was refusing to give the blood sample and she advised him “yes” and that “she was sorry.” Josey and the female driver returned to the booking area and the officer then issued her an ALS (license suspension) form based off her refusal. The female was then turned over to jail staff for booking.
