A Hall County sheriff’s deputy arrested a 19-year-old Alto man over the weekend for DUI and racing on a Gainesville street.
HALL CO. SHERIFF’S OFFICE (HCSO) NARRATIVE:
“The incident occurred Sunday…just before 2 a.m. as the deputy was conducting traffic surveillance on Jesse Jewell Parkway near the intersection of E.E. Butler Parkway.
The deputy observed two pickup trucks that appeared to be in a contest for speed on Jesse Jewell Parkway. The deputy was able to catch up to the trucks at the red light at Jesse Jewell and Downey Boulevard.
When the traffic light turned green, the drivers of both vehicles, who were traveling side-by-side, accelerated to speeds between 55 and 60 mph. The deputy initiated a traffic stop, and one of the drivers stopped at White Sulphur Road, while the other sped away and turned southbound on I-985.
During the course of the traffic stop, the deputy determined the driver of the stopped truck, 19-year-old Juan Diego Lara-Romero, was driving under the influence of alcohol. Mr. Lara-Romero was taken into custody without incident on charges of DUI-under age 21 and racing on highway/streets.
(He) posted a bond of $1,430 and was released from the Hall County Jail later the same day.”