Brayden Berry

Name:
Berry, Brayden Isaiah

Date of Booking:
06/23/2026

Reason(s) For Booking:
HIT AND RUN; DUTY OF DRIVER TO STOP AT OR RETURN TO SCENE OF ACCIDENT

FOLLOWING TOO CLOSELY

VIOLATION OF INSTRUCTION PERMIT

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.]

Vehicle 2 was traveling in the number 1 southbound lane of Veterans Parkway at the intersection of EG Miles Parkway when it was struck from behind by vehicle 1. Vehicle 1 was traveling behind vehicle 2 when it struck vehicle 2 from behind. Vehicle 1 fled the scene immediately after the collision.

Ofc Carmen Ricker #173, an on-duty Hinesville Police Department Officer, said she was traveling westbound on EG Miles Parkway at the intersection of Veterans Parkway. She said she was operating her patrol vehicle in emergency mode with blue lights and siren activated while responding to a call and she had stopped on the east side of the intersection to ensure traffic was yielding to her blue lights and siren.

She said vehicle 2 came to a stop in the number 1 southbound lane of Veterans Parkway and then vehicle 1 approached from behind and it struck vehicle 2. She immediately broadcast the collision over the radio and turned around in the parking lot of 791 EG Miles Parkway (Enmarket) to check on the drivers. She said she did not see the vehicles anymore after she had turned around.

Kaidin Chandler, an off-duty Liberty County Sheriff’s Office Deputy, said he was stopped on Veterans Parkway for the traffic light at the intersection of EG Miles Parkway. He said vehicle 2 came to a stop as Ofc Ricker was clearing the intersection while operating in emergency mode. He said driver 1 did not see vehicle 2 stopped and vehicle 2 was struck from behind.

He said as soon as Ofc Ricker cleared the intersection, vehicle 1 swerved around vehicle 2 and fled the scene traveling southbound on Veterans Parkway at a high rate of speed and swerving in and out of traffic. He said vehicle 1 got stopped at the red traffic light at the intersection of Veterans Parkway and Charles C Frasier Boulevard. He said vehicle 2 caught up with vehicle 1 and their windows were down while they were stopped at the traffic light and it appeared they were conversing with each other. He said both vehicles then pulled into the parking lot of 755 West Oglethorpe Highway (Hinesville Central). He said if it had not been for the red traffic signal, he believed vehicle 1 would have continued fleeing.

Driver 2 said he was traveling in the number 1 southbound lane of Veterans Parkway at the intersection of EG Miles Parkway. He said he had started moving forward when the traffic light changed to green. He said he then saw and heard Ofc Ricker approaching the intersection while she was operating in emergency mode. He said he came to a stop and then felt an impact to the rear. He said vehicle 1 swerved around him after the intersection had cleared and fled at a high rate of speed southbound on Veterans Parkway so he began following it and he called 9-1-1 to report the crash.

Driver 1 said he was stopped behind vehicle 2 when it started moving forward because the traffic light was green. He said he began moving forward and then vehicle 2 came to a sudden stop. He said he applied the brakes but he was not able to avoid the collision. He said there was approximately one car length between his vehicle and vehicle 2 immediately before the collision occurred.

During my on-scene investigation, driver 1 provided the paper copy of his Georgia Driver’s License to me and I saw that it was a class CP Learner’s Permit. An NCIC/GCIC check of driver is license showed it was still a class CP Learner’s Permit and the only other occupant of vehicle 1 was nine years old.

Driver 1 was not able to shut vehicle 1 off and it started smoking due to a loss of engine oil that had leaked all over the ground. Hinesville Fire Department responded to the scene and disconnected the battery to shut down vehicle 1’s engine.

Driver 1 was placed under arrest and family members were contacted to come take custody of the juvenile passenger in vehicle 1. The juvenile passenger was released to [REDACTED] and Mr [REDACTED] contacted his own tow service to remove vehicle 1.

Driver 1 was cited for Leaving The Scene Of An Accident Involving An Occupied Vehicle, Following Too Close And Violation Of Class CP Restrictions as per Georgia Codes 40-6-270, 40-6-49 and 40-5-24(a)(1). He was transported to Liberty County Jail by Cpl Joseph #140 and released into the custody of the jail staff.

The arrest and transport of driver 1 followed department protocol (placed in double-locked handcuffs which were checked for fit. Searched for weapons or contraband with none found and seatbelted in the rear seat of Cpl Joseph’s patrol vehicle for transport). The back seat was searched before and after transport with no contraband found.

Copies of surveillance footage from 721 Veterans Parkway (Wawa) showing vehicle 1 fleeing the scene and Ofc Ricker’s patrol vehicle dash cam footage of the collision were uploaded to the police department’s servers. I also accessed the flock camera system which photographed both vehicles traveling southbound on Veterans Parkway past flock camera #17 very shortly after the collision occurred. Those photographs were also uploaded to the police department’s servers.

[End of Narrative]