A man was arrested after deputies say he fled from a traffic stop and was later found in a wooded area following a pursuit on Old Highway 27.
AAA is reminding Georgia drivers to keep safety at the center of their Valentine’s Day plans, warning that romantic dinners, parties, and late-night outings can also bring a rise in risky behavior behind the wheel.
A Summerville man was arrested Friday, January 23, 2026, following a traffic crash that resulted in serious injuries, according to booking and incident records from the Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office. Records show Billy Joe Dooley, 59, was booked into the Chattooga County Jail at approximately 10:09 p.m. after being arrested earlier that evening by the Georgia State Patrol.
Jail records list the following charges: DUI / Drugs / Less Safe, failure to stop at a stop sign, reckless driving, and serious injury by vehicle. The incident report narrative states the arrest followed a traffic stop connected to a crash investigation, and the case remains under the criminal justice process.
Dooley has been arrested multiple times on charges of open container and DUI, dating back to 2016.
Dooley’s booking record reflects no bond listed at the time of booking.
The Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office reports 55-year-old Angela Donice Jennings was arrested following a traffic stop in Trion. In the incident narrative, a deputy says Jennings was observed failing to maintain her lane and nearly striking another vehicle before both vehicles pulled into a nearby parking area, identified in the report as the United Community Bank location.
The Georgia Department of Public Safety reports that seven people died in automobile crashes statewide during the 102-hour New Year’s holiday travel period, as troopers and officers worked high-visibility patrols across Georgia, including routes serving Northwest Georgia.
The Chattooga County Sheriff’s Office has released incident reports detailing two separate DUI arrests from late 2025, involving calls for service on Mitchell Circle and West Spring Creek Road.
The Georgia Department of Public Safety (DPS) has released an activity report for the New Year’s holiday travel period, showing hundreds of citations and dozens of serious crashes statewide.
A 48-year-old man, Devlin E. Crider, was arrested in Chattooga County following a reported incident involving an alleged impaired driver on Mitchell Circle.
A 20-year-old was arrested in Chattooga County following a traffic stop that began with an alleged high-speed run on Highway 27.