Robert Hope

Name:
Hope, Robert Louis

Date of Booking:
01/15/2026

Reason(s) For Booking:
POSSESSION AND USE OF DRUG RELATED OBJECTS – M

HIT AND RUN; DUTY OF DRIVER TO STOP AT OR RETURN TO SCENE OF ACCIDENT – M

Failure To Report Accident – M

Driving With Suspended Or Revoked License – F

Too Fast For Conditions – M

Following Too Closely – M

Turn Signal Violation – M

Officer’s Narrative:
[Please note: The following is a direct transcription from the official initial incident report. The Georgia Gazette does not fix any spelling or grammatical errors that may exist. Any changes or redactions made by our staff are placed inside brackets. Some errors may exist. All subjects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The topics discussed may be sensitive to some readers. Discretion is advised.]

On 15 January 2026 at approximately 08:35 hrs. I responded to what was initially thought to be a crash with injuries on eastbound I-16 near mile marker 156. At the same time Ofc. Orten was responding to a Hit & Run crash on eastbound I-16 near Pooler Parkway (See his supplemental report in the crash report under this CRN).

Once both of us arrived at our respective scenes we were able to determine that both calls were for the same crash. Additionally, we were able to determine that this was a Hit & Run crash, part of the parties was at Ofc. Orten’s location and the AT FAULT party/party that fled the scene were at my location.

My investigation revealed the following:

Ms. [VICTIM #1] (Veh. #2) was traveling east at the time of this crash. She was in the left eastbound lane between the Pooler Parkway Overpass and the 155.5 Mile Marker. At the same time Mr. [VICTIM #2] (Veh. #3) had just merged onto eastbound I-16 and he was in the right eastbound lane. Mr. Hope (Veh. #1), Mr. [WITNESS #1] (Wit.) and Mr. [WITNESS #2] (Wit.) were approaching the rear of Ms. [VICTIM #1] and Mr. [VICTIM #2]. Because Mr. Hope was traveling faster than Mr. [VICTIM #2] and Ms. [VICTIM #1], he ended up too close to the rear of Mr. [VICTIM #2]’s vehicle.

To avoid striking the rear of Mr. [VICTIM #2]’s vehicle Mr. Hope had to abruptly and erratically change lanes. In doing so he struck the rear of Ms. [VICTIM #1]’s vehicle. This impact was so hard that debris from this impact struck Mr. [VICTIM #2]’s vehicle. The impact between Mr. Hope’s vehicle and Ms. [VICTIM #1]’s vehicle was with such force also it caused Mr. Hope’s vehicle to be sent into the right-side grass shoulder/ditch. The impact also sent Ms. [VICTIM #1]’s vehicle into the center grass median.

Mr. Hope was able to drive out of the ditch and continue east on I-16 (Mr. [WITNESS #2] supplied dash camera footage of this). Mr. Hope continued east on I-16 for over a half mile but less than a mile away from the crash scene before his car finally gave out and he drove it off into the ditch again.

Mr. [WITNESS #2] followed Mr. Hope from the crash scene to where Mr. Hope’s vehicle crashed again. Mr. [WITNESS #1] stayed at the original scene with Ms. [VICTIM #1]. After Mr. Hope got out of his vehicle, Mr. [WITNESS #3] watched Mr. Hope walk around his vehicle throwing small items all over the place.

When I arrived on scene Mr. Hope was carrying a backpack. I asked him for his side of the crash. He claimed Ms. [VICTIM #1] turned into him and the reason he fled the scene was because “he was scared”. He denied throwing anything away. He stated he has not consumed any prescription or illegal narcotics.

I asked him for his driver’s license. He did not have one to hand me at the time. He eventually claimed that at one point it was suspended, but he repaid the reinstatement fee. He did not know what the status of his driving privileges were at that moment. I asked him if I could look/search his backpack. He gave me verbal permission to do so. I removed it from him and placed it on the hood of my vehicle.

I then went to talk to Mr. [WITNESS #3], Mr. [WITNESS #2] and Mr. [VICTIM #2]. Mr. [WITNESS #3] reiterated that he did not see the crash, his involvement was after Mr. Hope came to a final rest. Mr. [WITNESS #2] did not see the crash, but he had video of the immediate aftermath of the crash where Mr. Hope was fleeing the scene. Mr. [WITNESS #2] saw that Mr. Hope’s vehicle was falling apart so he stayed with him so Mr. Hope could not get away before the arrival of law enforcement.

Mr. [VICTIM #2] did not know how the crash exactly happened because the crash occurred right next to him. He stated debris from the crash hit and damaged his vehicle. When he saw Mr. Hope fleeing, he followed him also.

By now I had enough probable cause to place Mr. Hope under arrest for Leaving the scene of a crash.

He was placed under arrest, handcuffed, and searched. The handcuffs were double locked and checked for fit and he was placed in the back of my car, and he was seat belted in.

I then searched his backpack. In the bottom of the backpack under various items was a small travel shaving kit. In the bottom of the shaving kit was another smaller pull string black silky bag. In this bag was a glass pipe that I commonly know as a “crack pipe”. I asked Mr. Hope if he “smoked crack”. His response was something to the effect of “I’m no crackhead, I smoke meth”. My response to that was so “it’s a meth pipe” and he responded with a “yes”. This bag and pipe were seized, photographed and then destroyed. Nothing else of evidentiary value was located in the backpack.

A records check through GCIC showed that Mr. Hope’s driving privileges are SUSPENDED. He has 11 Failure to Appear Suspensions, 2 No Insurance Suspensions and 2 Driving While Suspended Suspension’s showing on his driver’s license. The earliest suspension is from 2002.

I transported him to Memorial Medical Center for medical clearance to be accepted by the Chatham County Jail. I then transported him to the Chatham County Jail where he was booked on the following charges: Possession of Drug related Object, Hit & Run, (Misdemeanor) Driving while License is Suspended, Failure to Report a Crash that results in over $500.00 in damage, Too fast for Conditions, Following too Close, and Erratic Lane Change. Following the transport of Mr. Hope, the back seat of Apo. Walp’s car was searched, and nothing was found.

After looking at Mr. Hope’s driver’s license printout, I requested a Criminal History to be done. This showed that Mr. Hope has 8 Driving While License is Suspended CONVICTIONS. The last three are AFTER December 2021 in Effingham County GA. Because of these convictions the Driving While License is Suspended Charge was UPGRADED from a MISDEAMEANOR to a FELONY. Mr. Hope refused to sign any paperwork when I returned to the jail to upgrade this charge.

[End of Narrative]