Opie Bowen

Name:
Bowen, Opie Dean

Date of Booking:
09/20/2025

Reason(s) For Booking:
DUI – DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL

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

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 September 20, 2025, I was dispatched to a hit-and-run involving a gray Chevy Silverado with significant front-end damage. The complainant, [REDACTED], reported the vehicle traveling south on Old River Rd before entering I-16 eastbound.

I located a matching vehicle near Exit 152 on I-16 in Bloomingdale and conducted a traffic stop. The driver was identified as Opie Bowen. Upon contact, Bowen displayed extremely red and glossy eyes. When asked about leaving the scene of the accident, Bowen denied causing the crash and claimed the other vehicle hit him. When asked why he left, he gave a blank stare and did not respond.

Bowen was instructed to exit the vehicle and had difficulty maintaining his balance while doing so. At the rear of the vehicle, I detected a strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from his person. Bowen swayed as he stood and continued to display signs of impairment. When asked to perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, Bowen refused, stating, “Just take me in.”

I read Bowen Georgia Implied Consent for suspects age 21 and over, requesting a blood test. Bowen refused. He was placed under arrest for DUI and hit-and-run, secured in my patrol vehicle, and transported to the Effingham County Jail without further incident. His vehicle was towed by Smith’s Front End.

[End of Narrative]