Pekin man arrested for drunk driving, leaving the scene

Jeremiah Williams, 21, Pekin, was arrested after he ran off the road, striking a tree in the yard of a home on Martinsburg road, then left the scene of the accident.

Donald Sullivan called police after a 1999 Nissan Pathfinder struck two bushes and a peach tree in his front yard, then drove off, down Martinsburg Road, leaving the passenger-side rear taillight assembly behind. Salem Police Officer Nigel Smith arrived to investigate.

Just before 2:30 p.m., Animal Control Officer Ryan Reisert told Smith he saw a gold SUV on South Martinsburg Road, just past the old gun range. Smith arrived to see the damaged vehicle facing north, just off the roadway. The vehicle was missing a taillight assembly and had damage to the front and passenger side of the vehicle, along with a flat tire and bent rim on the front-passenger side. Reisert was already there, along with two men, George Browning IV, 19, and Williams. Smith heard Williams speaking and his words were slurred and he was swaying from side to side. Browning told Smith Williams had been driving the vehicle when it crashed near the jail earlier that day. Williams admitted to driving and left because he got scared. Smith noticed Williams’s eyes were watery.

Both Williams and Browning denied having been drinking, but Smith and Reisert said they could smell alcohol coming from both men.

Deputy Ryan Larrimore arrived at the scene and said he could smell alcohol on the two men. Smith asked Browning again if he had been drinking and Browning admitted he had been drinking.

Williams became belligerent when Smith asked him to perform some field sobriety tests and tried to call someone on his phone, stating several times it was his right and he was going to talk on the phone. Larrimore also asked him to hang up and Williams became very upset “and began stating that we thought we were bad a****.” He then agreed to perform the tests. He failed the first and became belligerent toward Larrimore again after being allowed to take his coveralls off, saying “he thought he was a bad a** city cop,” and Smith said in his report that Williams’s speech became more slurred than it had been previously. Smith regained Williams’s attention and explained the second test, which Williams also failed.

Williams became belligerent during Smith’s explanation of the third test as well and refused to comply with the instructions. He remained argumentative during Smith’s explanation of implied consent also refused the chemical test and Smith informed him he was under arrest for OWI refusal and leaving the scene of an accident.

Smith performed a breath test on Browning, who blew a .037. Because Browning was cooperative, Smith said he would arrest him for illegal consumption, but would send a report to the prosecutor, who would notify him if they decided to bring charges against him.

Smith obtained a search warrant for the chemical test, but Williams refused to provide a urine sample or allow a nurse to obtain a blood sample. Nurses, Smith and Salem Officer Allison Garloch held him down while another nurse obtained the blood sample. Williams said he still wouldn’t give urine. When the nurse opened a catheter kit, Williams said he would provide a sample at a urinal.

Williams’s blood-alcohol content was .215 and he also tested positive for cannabinoids. He was booked on charges of operating while intoxicated and endangering a person, operating a vehicle with an ACE of at least .15, leaving the scene of an accident and operating a vehicle while intoxicated (refusal).

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