According to a Georgia State Patrol incident report, on June 2nd, 2021, at approximately 10:37 PM, Sergeant Cain was dispatched to a vehicle crash on GA-48 near Marks Road. Trooper Cain reported, “Once on scene, [I] spoke with the driver of the crashed vehicle. The driver was identified as James Stephen Gladney, 52, of Menlo, by his Georgia driver’s license. As [I] spoke to Gladney about the crash, [I] could detect a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his breath. [I] asked Gladney if he had consumed any alcohol prior to driving? He stated that he had consumed alcohol a little less than an hour before the crash occurred. [I] then asked him how much alcohol, and what type, had he consumed? He stated that he had consumed four 16 ounce beers prior to driving. During our conversations, Gladney would often repeat himself several times, appearing to forget what he had already told me.” According to the report, Gladney randomly stated that he had about $3,400 in the vehicle with him and began telling the trooper about how he acquired it. The trooper also noticed that there were several open Natural Light beer cans strewn about the inside of his vehicle. Gladney stated he had not been drinking any alcohol while driving. He stated multiple times that a black vehicle caused him to run off the roadway and crash. The witness to the crash stated that she did not observe any other vehicle in the area before observing Gladney’s 2008 Nissan Armada overturn multiple times. The trooper then performed the HGN field sobriety test. Gladney displayed six out of six clues of impairment during the test. Gladney then gave a breath sample into the preliminary breath test showing a positive sample at .200. Gladney was then placed under arrest for DUI. He was read the Georgia Implied Consent Notice for Suspects Over Age 21 and agreed. Gladney was booked into the Chattooga County Jail charged with DUI and failure to maintain a single lane.
