Deputy stops driver having trouble with curbs and bridges after a night at the bar

A Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office deputy pulled over a Georgia man attempting to drive across the Woods Memorial Bridge early Saturday morning after the driver crossed over into the oncoming traffic lane several times, according to a sheriff’s office report.

The driver began the day with a DUI charge and a trip to Beaufort County Detention Center, according to online detention center records.

The deputy initially spotted the vehicle traveling down Sea Island Parkway emitting a sound “as if the emergency brake was on and the vehicle was dragging a tire,” according to the report. The deputy pulled him over on the Beaufort side, near Bay Street.

One of the passenger side airbags had deployed during the trip and the allegedly intoxicated driver and passenger had just come from a bar in Port Royal, according to the report. On the way, the female passenger had allegedly grabbed the wheel from the driver because she was upset and the car hit a curb somewhere in Port Royal before the driver allegedly hit another curb near the J. E. McTeer Bridge.

The driver also forgot to mention until several minutes into the traffic stop that his gun and permit were in the vehicle, according to the report. The deputy secured the man’s gun for the remainder of the stop.

The man handed the deputy a stack of papers and asked him to find his registration and proof of insurance because he wasn’t able to, according to the report. A breath sample on the scene put the driver’s blood alcohol level at 0.15, according to the report. The passenger had a minor cut on her forehead from the airbag but was otherwise uninjured.

This story was originally published January 17, 2017 at 4:09 PM with the headline "Deputy stops driver having trouble with curbs and bridges after a night at the bar."