From Bryan County Sheriff’s Office reports. 

Obstruction, DUI, drugs: Deputies were contacted around 9 p.m. June 19 by an off-duty state trooper about a drunk driver heading into Bryan County on I-95 after that vehicle had hit another on Highway 204. “After the vehicle struck the other vehicle it continued at a high rate of speed, even reaching speeds of 90 mph,” the trooper said, and once it got on 95 was “all over the road,” and “passing in the emergency lane.” 

The off-duty trooper, who was following the vehicle, gave the tag number to deputies, who traced it to a Richmond Hill address. A deputy then saw the vehicle get off exit 82 and go “all over the roadway on Belfast Keller,” and turned on his blue lights, but “the vehicle never slowed and continued eastbound Belfast Keller refusing to stop.”  

The vehicle actually sped up, and “almost struck a small white compact vehicle that went into the ditch to avoid getting hit in the rear,” the report said, noting the driver was going as fast as 75 mph in the Cranston Bluff subdivision and swerved at the deputy’s car,  etc. When the vehicle was finally stopped, the driver refused to get out and, once gotten out of the car, tried to fight the deputy and the state trooper.  

Once he was subdued, the man was identified as a 23-year-old with a Richmond Hill address whose license was suspended in May. He was also found to have drugs in his possession. He faces a lot of charges, including aggravated assault on a peace officer. 

DUI,  more: Deputies on patrol around 7:30 p.m.  June 19 spotted a vehicle going down Eldora Road without a license plate, but had to chase it to an address on Meadowbrook Way to get it to stop. The driver said he didn’t have a driver’s license and said “he did think he had active warrants.” As they patted the driver down, deputies found a needle in the driver’s pocket, etc., and began to investigate. The driver then asked that he not be handcuffed in front of his kids. When a deputy walked the man to “the rear driver door,’ the man “pulled away and began to run.” 

As deputies checked the area, the man’s wife and kids were outside standing near the man’s truck, and had taken a glass smoking pipe for marijuana, some flip flops, a white plastic bag and a spoon. Those were confiscated by deputies, and a search of the man’s vehicle turned up an open bottle of whiskey and a used hypodermic needle.  

Assist citizen: This from a June 19 report of an incident at a Highway 144 address, with a time of 2 a.m. 

“Deputies were dispatched to the above address in reference to the complainant being sprayed with a waterhose. Upon arrival it was discovered the above incident had happened  weeks ago and she was mad  because her boyfriend had brought home another one of his ho’s and was in the house (with her) while (complainant) had to stay in the camper out back and she was tired of it and wanted to know how she should deal with it and were there any places she could go for help. Deputies gave her what advice they could. Deputies returned to service and the complainant went to bed.” 

 Property damage: A Richmond Hill man reported a semi ran over his property June 17.  

The man told deputies that around 9 a.m. “he observed a white semi truck with trailer attempting to turn around on his property. Victim advised that by the time he made it across his lawn and over to the property across the street which he owns as well the driver had already damaged several things on his property.” 

Those things included “the bushes at the front of the property, the grass in the front yard, the grass at the end of the driveway on the side of the house and the grass exiting the driveway were all damaged by the semi truck’s wheels. Victim advised that the cable line on the pole at the end of the driveway was pulled down and severed. Victim was also concerned about the potential damage caused to his septic system as most of the semi drove over the top of it leaving ruts.” 

The report listed additional ruts in the man’s grass from the semi backing out, and noted he was able to get a video and also tried to talk to the driver. He also said “he escorted the semi out of the neighborhood without further damage caused.”  

The truck was listed as belonging to an Ohio trucking company. The man said he will reach out to them to have the damage fixed, etc.  

 Matter of record: A Richmond Hill woman reported June 19 she thought she “heard several times a child’s voice asking for help” at a nearby residence. Deputies “knocked on all doors, windows and walls in attempt to get someone to answer the door. No one came to the door and no noises were heard from the residence to indicate someone was in distress,” the report said. 

“The complainant advised afterwards that she might be going crazy and maybe she did not hear what she thought,” the report said. 

Damage to property: Deputies were sent to a Richmond Hill address for a busted pipe to a fire hydrant around 12:20 a.m. June 20, where a man said his daughter’s friend was “backing out of the driveway and bumped into the fire hydrant located next to the driveway.”  The incident was documented. Bryan County Fire and Emergency Services was also there.  

 Domestic dispute: Deputies were sent to an Ellabell address June 17 regarding a mother and son in an argument. The mother claimed her son, who was gone when deputies arrived, got mad at her and pushed her down on the bed, but didn’t have any signs of injury. 

When he returned, so did deputies and talked to him. He claimed he never touched his mother, and “explained that his mother continuously talks down to him and yells at him which provokes him to the point where he does argue back,” and, “(the son) explained he would like his mother arrested for always provoking him.” 

Both the mother and son were arrested for disorderly conduct, but the deputy didn’t think it was a good  idea to put them both in the back seat of his patrol car because of their inability to get along, so he “allowed a friend of (the mother) to drive her to the Bryan County Jail for booking.” 

Editor’s note: The same pair were involved in another incident June 17 in which the woman claimed her son, “just got out of rehab,” and “tonight he held up a screwdriver and told her granddaughter/his niece to shut the F up.” The man agreed to go elsewhere for the night to prevent another incident from occurring. 

Matter of record: A Richmond Hill man went to BCSO on June 17 to report an issue with pine straw. The man said it occurred June 15 when a fellow knocked on his door and asked if he wanted some bales of pinestraw, he agreed to buy some and have it laid in front of his house.  

The man said he went back inside without getting a quote, and a work crew went to work. When they were done, he was told they’d laid 700 bales and claimed to have put it in “areas of the did not ask them too.”  

Then the man was told the cost was $3,400, at $4.75 per bale. He told BCSO it  didn’t look as though the crew had laid 700 bales of pine straw – “it appeared as though maybe 300 to 400 bales of pinestraw was laid in his yard,” he told BCSO – but he agreed to pay by check, and has since put a stop payment on the check and thinks he was scammed.  

He gave deputies names and contact members of two of the work crew members.  

Meth: Around 9 a.m. June 20 deputies were dispatched to a Highway 280 gas station regarding “a disorderly person screaming and trying to get into other people’s vehicles.” There, they saw a man standing outside a Nissan. “He was speaking into the gas tank,” the report said. “He would say ‘hello, then place his ear to the tank for reply.”

The deputy “approached the gentleman, later identified as a (53-year-old man from Lawrenceville) and attempted to speak with him.” It didn’t go well – the man didn’t make sense and emptied out his car looking for someone – and the deputy called for EMS and “while waiting for EMS deputies continued to try and speak with (the man), but still, most of his answers did not pertain to the questions.”

What’s more, “while being questioned, (the man) put his hand in his left pocket to look for his keys, but as he pulled his hand out, out came a small clear baggy filled with a white crystal like substance. The substance fell to the ground. (The man) then picked up the baggy, held it out in front of him and stated, ‘here’s the problem.’” The stuff in the bag was meth, the report said. The man was arrested and taken to jail.

Matter of record: A deputy was sent to where Page and Wilma Edward roads intersect on June 20 regarding an anonymous tip about an abandoned vehicle. There he found a 2020 VW Beetle in the bushes with damage to its front hood and passenger side headlight. A check showed it had been stolen in Chatham County. “Chatham County was notified but refused to come out to inspect the vehicle.”

The VW was towed and the owner was told where his car was and how to come get it.