Intoxicated driver arrested after fleeing from traffic stop

Published 10:54 am Monday, October 2, 2023

On Oct. 1 at approximately 4:06 p.m., the Athens Police Department received a call referencing an intoxicated driver near the intersection of US Highway 72 and Mooresville Road.

Minutes later, officers located the vehicle on Pepper Road near Lindsay Lane. The vehicle was stopped in the roadway, forcing other drivers to go around the vehicle. Officers attempted to perform a traffic-stop on the vehicle, and the driver began to flee northbound on Lindsay Lane.

The vehicle was later stopped on Forrest Street near US Hwy 31 with the use of spike strips to deflate the vehicle’s tires. During the pursuit, the vehicle left the road several times and traveled in the opposing lane of traffic.

The driver has been charged with Driving Under the Influence and Attempt to Elude a Law Enforcement Officer.