20-Year-Old Girl Runs Into her Friend IN JAIL After DUI Arrest

Around 2:30 AM on March 15, 2024, Officer Benjamin Benedict with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department observed a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt being driven on the wrong side of a tunnel while conducting traffic patrol in the vicinity of North Avenue and Willow Street. He started following the vehicle and activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop. The driver turned into the parking lot of an apartment complex and pulled into a parking space. Officer Benedict exited his patrol car and made contact with the driver, who was identified as 20-year-old Trista Deal.

As he was speaking with Trista, Officer Benedict detected a strong odor of alcohol and observed other indicators of impairment. Trista admitted to consuming alcohol earlier that evening, but told the officer that she felt that it would be safe to drive. However, her passenger told her that she should not have been driving. Based on her indicators of impairment, Trista was asked to perform field sobriety exercises. After some hesitation, Trista eventually agreed to perform the field sobriety exercises.

Officer Benedict started with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test, and he observed the lack of smooth pursuit, distinct and sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation, and the onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degrees. He also observed vertical nystagmus. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Trista did not touch heel-to-toe on each step and stepped off the starting position multiple times. The final exercise was the One Leg Stand test. During the One Leg Stand test, Trista failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion and put her foot down before the test was complete.

Following the field sobriety exercises, Trista admitted to consuming 5 drinks earlier that evening. Based on her erratic driving, the odor of alcohol, her admission to consuming alcohol earlier that evening, and her inability to adequately perform the field sobriety exercises, Trista was placed under arrest for DUI. After placing her under arrest, Officer Benedict read her the Georgia Implied Consent Notice at the scene, and she agreed to submit breath samples.

Trista was initially transported to the Downtown Precinct for the administration of the breath test. Her lowest breath test result indicated a BAC level of 0.206%, which was more than double the legal limit of 0.08% for drivers over the age of 21. Officer Benedict then placed Trista inside the patrol car and transported her to the Clarke County Jail for further processing. Once she arrived at the jail, she happened to see her friend Savana Tipton (20) also being booked in, after she had been arrested for Disorderly Conduct earlier that evening. Both Trista and Savana were partying together earlier that evening. Trista was eventually booked into the Clarke County Jail and issued the following summonses: DUI – Alcohol –Under 21 Years of Age (40-6-391(k)), Possession of Open Container (40-6-253), and Improper Lane Usage (40-6-40)

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