Martin man charged with reckless driving and DUI
Preston Cooper
Story by Senior Investigative Reporter Shannon Taylor
On Nov. 6 around 1:56 a.m. Patrolman Nicholas Combs with the Martin Police Department observed a gray Nissan traveling west at a high speed on University Street. The vehicle made a right hand turn onto Fonville Avenue and continued at a high rate of speed that was verified by radar to be 68 mph in a 30-mph zone. Cooper was weaving through parked vehicles on either side of the road at a very high rate of speed.
The vehicle continued to increase its speed as it traveled south on Fonville Avenue and drove through the intersection of Fonville Avenue and Lee Street without stopping at the stop sign. The vehicle crossed the intersection at a speed that caused the vehicle to unload its suspension and it appeared to hop as it crossed the intersection, according to the incident report.
Combs then activated his emergency equipment and initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle. Upon contact with the offender, Preston Cooper, Combs noticed a strong smell of alcohol coming from inside the vehicle. Combs observed Cooper’s movement to be very slow and clumsy as Cooper attempted to retrieve the requested information. Cooper advised that he had consumed alcoholic beverages.
Combs had Cooper exit the vehicle and perform the standardized field sobriety tests and as Cooper exited the vehicle, Combs observed that he was unsteady on his feet. Cooper performed the test in a manner that Combs deemed as unsafe for him to be operating a motor vehicle on a public roadway.
Cooper was placed under arrest for driving under the influence and was transported to the Martin Police Department for booking procedures. Cooper was read the implied consent law and consented to a breath alcohol test. The results of the test were a .182 and a .185 on the intox EC/IR-II machine.
Cooper’s license was found to have been suspended through Carroll County General Sessions for failure to pay fines and Cooper was also unable to provide proof of insurance.
