The following information is gleaned from incident reports, which are public record, from the Jones County Sheriff’s Department and Gray Police Department March 31 – April 1, 2023.
March 31
Hard asleep at the wheel
Dep. Sullivan was dispatched to Bowen Hill Rd. at Hwy. 22 in reference to a subject asleep at the wheel in his vehicle. When Sullivan arrived at the scene, he observed the subject asleep behind the wheel in the vehicle with the engine running and in drive, but the driver’s foot was on the brake. Sullivan also noticed the male subject had a Bud Light beer can in his hand. The deputy observed several empty Bud Light beer cans in the passenger’s side floorboard also. Sullivan began knocking on the driver’s window to attempt to wake him up, but the male was not responding. The deputy kept knocking on the window and tried speaking to the male to try to get him to wake up, with no response.
Sullivan walked to the back of the vehicle to get the license plate number then returned to attempt to wake the subject again. Sullivan again started knocking on the window of the vehicle and yelling at the subject and he began to wake up. At that time, since the car was in drive, the vehicle started to roll. Sullivan advised the male to stop the vehicle, put it in park and turn it off. The male complied and stepped out of the vehicle with the beer in his hand which was half full. The deputy could smell the strong odor of alcohol and asked the male how much he had to drink. The subject replied that he only had a couple of beers. When Sullivan told the male he saw all the empty beer cans, the male advised the deputy he only had two beers, and he was just tired from work and then asked if the deputy could just follow him home. Sullivan advised the male that he could not follow him home, but he needed to make sure he was safe to drive before he left. The male agreed to do the Standard Field Sobriety Test. The male failed several parts of the test. The deputy then asked if he would blow into the Portable Breath Test and the subject asked if he had to do it. Sullivan advised the subject that he did not have to and the subject refused. At that time, the male was placed under arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol and read the implied consent for blood testing and he agreed to the testing of his blood.
The male was transported to the Jones County LEC where his blood was drawn, issued a citation for DUI and turned over to jail staff.
April 2
A sale that ended up in jail
Sgt. Carr was monitoring traffic on Hwy. 49 when he observed a motorcycle with an obscured license plate. Carr conducted a traffic stop at that time and identified the driver as the registered owner of the motorcycle. The male advised Carr that he was on his way to sell the motorcycle to someone in Jones County. While Carr was speaking with the male subject, he noticed a license plate zip tied to the frame that was not visible from the rear of the bike. Carr ran the tag number through the GCIC/NCIC database, and it alerted that the bike had no insurance, expired registration, and the registered owner’s license was suspended. The male advised the Sgt. that the bike had been sitting for over a year and that’s why it had no insurance. Carr secured the male in handcuffs and Dep. Shurley transported him to the Jones County LEC where he was issued citations for obscured license plate, no insurance, expired registration and suspended license.
