22-Year-Old Bartender Arrested for DUI After Passenger Throws Up in her Car

On Saturday, August 20, 2022, Officer Katherine Thielman with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department observed a 2021 Toyota Rav4 drive eastbound through a red light at the intersection of Atlanta Highway and Huntington Road. She initiated a traffic stop, and the driver pulled over on Atlanta Highway near Jennings Mill Road. She made contact with the woman who was driving the vehicle, who was identified as 22-year-old Caroline. As she was speaking with Caroline, Officer Thielman detected the odor of alcohol and noticed that her passenger appeared highly intoxicated.

When Officer Thielman asked her if she had been drinking, she admitted to consuming 2 shots at Akademia Brewing Company, where she had worked as a bartender. As she was asking her whether she had any open containers, her passenger vomited inside the vehicle. Based on her suspicion of impairment, Officer Thielman asked for an additional unit.

Additional officers arrived on scene soon, and Caroline was asked to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises. Officer Jason Castels administered the field sobriety exercises, and he started with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. During the HGN test, Officer Castels observed 6/6 indicators of impairment. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, she did not touch heel-to-toe on each step and walked backwards as she returned to the starting position. The final exercise was the One Leg Stand test, and she did not raise her foot in the proper fashion and put her foot down in the middle of the test before attempting to restart.

Based on her traffic infraction, the odor of alcohol, her admission to consuming alcohol, and her inability to adequately perform the field sobriety exercises, Caroline was placed under arrest for DUI. After she was placed under arrest, she was able to call someone else to come and get her passenger because he was unable to drive. When Officer Thielman read the Implied Consent statement to her, she agreed to provide blood samples.

Officer Thielman transported her to Piedmont Area Regional Medical Center (PARMC) to obtain blood samples for testing. She was then booked into the Clarke County Jail and issued the following summonses: DUI – Alcohol – Less Safe (40-6-391(a)(1)), Reckless Driving (40-6-390), and Obedience to Traffic-Control Devices Required (40-6-20)

Caroline was eventually released pending her initial court appearance on September 12, 2022. An arraignment hearing was scheduled on December 6, 2022. Her attorney filed for a waiver of formal arraignment and entered a “not guilty” plea on December 5, 2022. A hearing was scheduled before Judge Ethelyn Simpson on February 7, 2023. A hearing scheduling a pretrial motion for March 15, 2023 was scheduled on February 27, 2023. On March 27, 2023, a calendar call and jury trial was scheduled for June 5, 2023.

On May 16, 2023, Caroline entered a “guilty” plea to count 1 in regards to being in physical control of the vehicle. A dismissal was filed for counts 2 and 3 (DUI and Reckless Driving, respectively), while a plea of nolo-contendere was entered for count 4 (red light violation). The Memorandum of Plea Agreement indicates that on May 16, 2023, counts 2 and 3 (DUI and Reckless Driving, respectively) were dismissed. In regards to count 1 (physical control), Caroline was given a sentence that included 12 months of supervised probation, 40 hours of community service, completion of a DUI Risk Reduction Program, a Victim Impact Panel within 60 days, proof of evaluation and treatment for substance abuse within 30 days, and a $1,000 fine. She was also fined $200 for count 4. This was followed by a notice of revocation/suspension that was issued on May 16, 2023. Including other surcharges, the total fines amounted to $2,396.

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Our content is educational and in compliance with YouTube's Fair Use Policy because we edit several long clips into a concise story. This is similar to other law enforcement channels on YouTube. All videos and case documents were obtained pursuant to the Georgia Open Records Act, § 50-18-70, et seq. This is being shown for educational purposes, to discourage others from driving under the influence. Defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty.