On Monday of this week at around 1:00pm a Chattooga County Deputy on patrol in the area of Commerce Street and Highway 48, heard Summerville Police Units looking for a possible drunken driver around Ramey Street.

Deputies quickly located the suspect vehicle, and managed to fall in behind it, observing the driver failing to maintain a single lane in the area of Hawkins Drive.

When pulled over, the man behind the wheel, identified as Summerville resident Demetrius LaShawn Gale of a Summerville address, he was reportedly unable to produce a license – saying he didn’t have it on him however he did offer an insurance card; the report indicated that Gale’s speech was “slurred”, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was “slow to react” in all of his movements.

After running Gale’s information it was learned that his license had been suspended with a DUI offense date of November 5th of this year and a suspension date of December 6th for refusal to consent to the Georgia Implied Consent Law.

According to the report, Gales was asked repeatedly for a breath sample, which he refused.

There were two passengers in the vehicle, and the female who was registered as the owner gave consent for a search – which turned up a half-empty Budweiser beer bottle under the driver’s seat.

Nothing else was found and at that time the vehicle was turned over to a sober driver with Gale being transported to the Chattooga County Jail on charges of DUI/Alcohol; Driving on a Suspended License; Failure to Maintain a Single Lane and a Violation of the Open Container Law