Man arrested for DUI after BMW stuck on train tracks

Daniel D. Helmick, 38, 113 Pine Ridge Trace, Athens, was charged with DUI/alcohol and weaving over the roadway. Officer Joshua Smith arrived to find Helmick sitting in the driver’s seat of the BMW with the motor still running. A second officer had notified dispatch to have CSX stop any oncoming trains. Helmick was unsteady on his feet when he was asked to get out and talk with the officers. He said he had been in downtown Athens and was headed to the east side of town to his house. When asked where he was, he stated that he was on Hwy. 129 headed to Jefferson. He stated he had had “one beer about an hour ago.”

In a similar arrest, a Royston man was taken into custody last week following a BOLO (be on the look out) being issued for his car when dispatch received calls about a small champagne colored car traveling “all over the roadway” as it traveled down Hwy. 191 toward Hwy. 281.

Robert Alan Loper, 58, 1090 Reno Road, was charged with failure to report accident with injury/damage and weaving over roadway after an officer observed the car going over the centerline and made a traffic stop. The driver (Loper) told him he was headed to Loganville to play cards with friends. He said he was in Commerce when he began his journey to Loganville. When asked if he knew where he was he reportedly stated he was in Banks County. The officer smelled alcohol on his breath. It was also found that damage to his vehicle was from striking a guardrail on Hwy. 191. A cap, which Loper identified as his and that a witness reported he was wearing, was also found at the accident scene.

Others arrested by law enforcement in Madison County last week included:

•Robert Lee Bolton, 52, 160 Chandler Bridge Road, Nicholson, was charged with DUI/alcohol/controlled substance, weaving over roadway and possession of a controlled substance after an officer reportedly spotted his Honda Accord traveling on Hwy. 72 attempting to make a turn onto Hardman Morris Road where it almost crashed into the railroad tracks. He was arrested for DUI and during intake at the jail, a small plastic baggy containing cocaine was allegedly found in his jacket pocket.

•Delniccio Lamont Ellis, 30, 1306 Hwy. 29, Athens, was charged with loitering and possession and use of drug-related objects after he was reportedly knocking on doors in the Briarwood Lane area at 11 p.m. attempting to sell meat and asking for money. A glass-smoking pipe was allegedly found in his pants pocket during his arrest.

•Michelle Lynn Disher, 30, 612 Colbert Grove Church Road, Danielsville, was charged with battery, obstructing or hindering persons making emergency telephone call and marijuana less than an ounce after she allegedly became violent with her live-in boyfriend, scratching his face during an altercation. She also reportedly grabbed his cell phone and smashed it while he was attempting to call 9-1-1. The officer noted that Disher appeared intoxicated and a glass pipe was found in her coat pocket along with marijuana.

•Robert David Gunter, 41, 47 Bridges Road, Carlton, was charged with burglary, criminal damage to property and a probation violation after an officer found him walking along Hwy. 106 South carrying a piece of copper tubing. The officer noted he matched the description of a suspect spotted stealing copper tubing from a nearby location. He was arrested on a probation violation and then taken back to the crime scene, where the tubing, along with his shoe prints, were found to match those at the location.

•Charles Walter Benton, 24, 160 Chandler Bridge Road, Nicholson, probation violation.

•Truman Browner, 64, 6806 Hwy. 106 South, Hull, weaving over roadway and DUI/multiple substances.

•Marcus Wade Cleghorne, 37, 147 George Washington Avenue, Colbert, probation violation.

•Stanley Eddie Crowe, 42, 500 Huntington Road, Athens, failure to appear.

•John David Epps, 48, 10580 86th Avenue, Seminole, Fla., probation violation.

•Oxtavier Kahil Hemphill, 36, 152 Mineral Springs Road, Athens, probation violation.

•Cruz Lee Hill, 18, 158 Forrest Lane, Colbert, furnishing, purchasing, and possession of alcoholic beverages by persons below legal age.

•Sandroe Coshae Howard, 33, 120 Norwood Drive, Athens, probation violation.

•Tonya Michelle Huff, 35, 206 Williamson Drive, Hull, probation violation.

•Christopher James Little, 20, 228 Herring Drive, Comer, furnishing, purchasing and possession of alcoholic beverages by persons below legal age.

•Peter Gunn Mallet, 46, 1237 Irvin Kirk Road, Danielsville, DUI/alcohol, violation of conditions or limited driving permit and weaving over roadway.

•Angela Michelle Manus, 43, 1672 Garnett Ward Road, Hull, obstruction or hindering law enforcement officers.

•Patrick Von Maxwell, 32, 1010 Stinchcomb Road, Elberton, driving while license suspended. (Comer PD)

•Donald Leland Richardson, 52, 896 Crooked Creek Road, Athens, probation violation.

•Lance Aaron Russell, 20, 74 Herring Drive, Comer, furnishing, purchasing, and possession of alcoholic beverages by persons below legal age.

•Ashiq Ali Sadruddin, 51, 1200 Water Shine Way, Snellville, commercial gambling.

•Robert Timothy Schlichting, 27, unknown address, probation violation.

•Chanita Shalon Sewell, 31, 164 Kim Chase, Athens, contempt of magistrate court.

•Timothy Blake Sheridan, 19, 740 Harve Mathis Road, Athens, furnishing, purchasing, and possession of alcoholic beverages by persons below legal age.

•Tommy Lee Towe, 44, 7960 Hwy. 72 West, Lot 10, Colbert, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, possession of marijuana less than an ounce and prescription drugs must be in original container.

•Justyn Ryan Whitley, 18, 718 Hwy. 72 East, Comer, furnishing to, purchasing and possession of alcoholic beverages by persons below legal age.

•Joshua Adams Willis, 32, 1717 Faye Carey Road, Danielsville, probation violation.

•Mark Stewart Wood, 57, 64 East Paoli Road, Carlton, probation violation.