Sheriff's Office Has Multiple Arrests Over Christmas

Five Arrests, Seven Citations, Six Accidents On Christmas Eve Through Christmas Day

Darren Doyle, story:
The Edmonson County Sheriff’s Office arrested 5 people, issued 7 total citations, and worked 6 motor vehicle accidents over the course of two days, December 24th and 25th. Two of the six accidents resulted in various citations while another resulted in two separate citations and arrests for Operating a Motor Vehicle under the Influence of Alcohol and or Drugs.
 
At approximately 10:21 pm on December 24th, Edmonson County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the Upper Smiths Grove Road area for an attempt to locate on a suspicious person who had reportedly been knocking on random doors throughout the neighborhood, according to the Sheriff's Office. It wasn’t until 3:43 am, after Deputies responded to similar calls in the same area, that the suspicious person, Brandon Young (37) of Richardsville Road, was located in the vicinity of E. Cooke Road, Smiths Grove. Young was arrested and lodged in Hart County Jail for Public Intoxication of a Controlled Substance after Young reported to Deputies that he was high on Methamphetamine. 

​According to the Sheriff's Office, a Christmas Day accident involved only one impaired driver at first, but resulted in two separate arrests for DUI.

At approximately 12:58 am on December 25th, Sheriff’s Deputies responded to Morgantown Road for a vehicle in a ditch that was partially blocking the roadway. Once on scene, Deputies said they found James D. Wells (22) of Morgantown Road in the driver seat and the strong odor of alcohol was detected. Wells reportedly admitted to having recently consumed alcoholic beverages and after a field sobriety test was performed, Wells was arrested and charged with Operating a Motor Vehicle under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs, 1st Offense.

While still on scene with James D. Wells, Sheriff’s Deputies said that another vehicle arrived at the scene. The Sheriff's Office said the driver of the vehicle, Madison T. Lowry, (20) of Sunfish School Road, approached the Deputy on scene and the strong odor of alcohol was again detected, as was the smell of marijuana.

According to the Sheriff's Office, Lowry told Deputies she was there to help her friend who had been in an accident, but also admitted to having recently consumed alcoholic beverages and to using marijuana. After a field sobriety test was performed, Lowry was arrested and charged with Operating a Motor Vehicle under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs, under 21 Years of Age. Both Lowry and Wells were arrested on scene and lodged in Hart County Jail.

According to a statement from the Sheriff's Office, deputies also served one Parole Violation Warrant, with more charges pending a grand jury, and responded to a Domestic Violence Dispute, which resulted in an arrest stemming from charges of Assault 4th Domestic Violence with Minor Injury, Firearm Enhanced; Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Wanton Endangerment, 1st Degree, Firearm Enhanced; and Trafficking in Marijuana.

Magistrates recently voted not to approve Sheriff Shane Doyle's proposed budget amount and suggested that he schedule deputies around holidays in order for the county to save on time-and-a-half overtime pay.*

"As I said, I will continue to operate the Sheriff's Office on whatever budget I have," said Sheriff Doyle. "However, as you can see, these are the types of incidents that can happen in Edmonson County over a period of just two days. We're still required to enforce the law, no matter what day. Even on Christmas."

*Update, 12/26/18: This article was edited for clarification. The original version stated "Magistrates recently cut Sheriff Shane Doyle's budget..." While the overall amount was in fact increased, certain line items were cut and/or removed altogether, such as salaries, uniforms, and equipment in order to cover operating expenses, according to the sheriff.