A police officer from Ringgold, Georgia, got a call on Sunday, March 1, that a driver may be under the influence. The officer initiated a traffic stop and pulled the car over.
While investigating the situation — the police are never supposed to assume that a driver is intoxicated — the officer told the driver to turn the car off. They apparently did so, at least at first.
However, the driver quickly changed their mind and turned the car back on. The driver then attempted to flee the scene without turning on the headlights. In the process, the car hit the police officer.
Multiple units then gave chase, following the driver until they crashed of their own accord. Police made the arrest and then took the driver to the hospital due to the injuries sustained in the crash. Reports note that the driver is now facing felony charges for fleeing the scene, along with a number of related charges.
The officer who got hit did suffer injuries, but it appears that they are expected to recover. Like the driver, the officer was brought to a nearby hospital by emergency crews.
This story shows just how serious one issue can be when compounded by other actions. The driver left their residence that night without any criminal charges, but one decision after another meant that they did not get to go home. Instead, they were injured, in the hospital, and facing felony charges. These are the type of charges that can change a person’s life forever, so it’s crucial that anyone facing them knows exactly what legal defense options they have.