Latasha Azbell

Name:
Azbell, Latasha Pearlyne

Date of Booking:
11/25/2025

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

FAILURE TO YIELD RIGHT OF WAY, TURNING

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.]

[NARRATIVE #1 on November 25, 2025]

On Tuesday, November 25th, 2025, at 5:55 p.m., I was dispatched to an injury accident at the intersection of Talmadge Road and Busbee Road in Walthourville, Liberty County, Georgia, 31333.

Driver 1, Mr. [VICTIM #1], stated that he was heading northbound on Talmadge Road, passing Busbee Road, when Vehicle 2 struck the passenger side of his vehicle. He reported that after the collision, Vehicle 2 left the scene before law enforcement arrived, heading southbound on Talmadge Road. He refused EMS at that time. He was given a case number and told how to obtain a copy of the report.

While on scene, a citizen told me they had followed the second vehicle involved in the incident and obtained its tag number. After running the information through GCIC, I retrieved the registered address of the vehicle and went to speak with the owner of the vehicle.

Driver 2, Ms. Latasha Azbell, said she was leaving Parker’s Service Station after buying some items and was headed home when she collided with vehicle two on Busbee Road at Talmadge Road while making a left turn and then left the scene. She explained that she left to retrieve her insurance information.

Please see the incident report for further information.

[End of Narrative]

[NARRATIVE #2 on November 25, 2025]

On Tuesday, November 25th, 2025, at approximately 5:55 p.m., I responded to a traffic accident with injuries (accident report WPD25114150) near the intersection of Talmadge Road and Busbee Road, Walthourville, Liberty County, Georgia 31333.

Upon arrival, it was discovered that the accident was a hit-and-run, with the vehicle that caused it leaving the scene. After receiving information from a citizen who retrieved the tag number from the vehicle involved, I ran it through GCIC to obtain the vehicle registration details and to contact the owner.

After retrieving the information from the Honda Accord, I went to the vehicle registration address at [30 BLOCK] Arnall Drive, Walthourville, Liberty County, Georgia, 31333. I knocked on the front door, which was answered by a woman later identified as Ms. Lastasha Abell. I asked if anyone else was in the residence, and she said no. I then inquired if she was involved in an accident near the intersection of Talmadge Road and Busbee Road, and she confirmed she was. I asked why she left the scene, and she explained she was returning home to get her insurance carhad d on her phone, which she said she left at home.

While speaking with Ms. Abell, I detected the smell of alcohol on her person. I asked if she had been drinking, and she admitted she had. I then asked how much she had consumed. She stated she was released from work around 12:00 p.m. and began drinking at approximately 2:00 p.m. after arriving home. Ms. Abell was asked to see her vehicle, which was in the garage at the time.

As I approached, the tag matched the registration in GCIC for that vehicle. I took photos of the vehicle, which had front-end damage. I asked Ms. Abell for proof of insurance, and she opened her passenger-side door to retrieve a paper copy from her glove box, showing she did not leave the scene to get her insurance. She possibly left because she was under the influence of alcohol.

After gathering all the necessary information from Ms. Azbell, we secured her residence and her vehicle. I then asked her to step in front of my vehicle. At that point, I explained to Ms. Azbell that I could smell the odor of alcohol on her and asked if she would take a field sobriety test, which she agreed to. I inquired about her last drive, and she said she didn’t remember. I then asked how much she had to drink, and she responded that she had consumed a lot to the point where she couldn’t remember.

The first test was the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Test. I first asked Ms. Azbell to place her feet together and her arms down by her side. I then informed her that I was going to make passes in front of her face with my index finger (stimulant), and she was to follow with her eyes and her eyes only, and not move her head.

I first checked for Resting Nystagmus in the left and right eyes. I then checked for equal tracking in both eyes to ensure there was no unknown head trauma. Next, I checked for the lack of smooth pursuit in their left and right eye. I then checked for distinct and sustained Nystagmus while each eye was held at maximum deviation for at least four seconds. Lastly, I checked for the onset of Nystagmus before forty-five degrees in the left and right eyes.

During this test, I detected four clues out of a possible six: Lack of Smooth Pursuit in the right and left eye, Nystagmus at Max deviation in the left eye only, and Onset of Nystagmus Prior to forty-five degrees in the left and right eye.

The second test is the Walk and Turn. I first instructed Ms. Azbell to place her left foot on a line that was already painted on the roadway, take her right foot, and place it directly in front of her left foot, touching heel to toe. I then instructed her to stand there with her arms down by her side and not to begin until she was instructed to do so.

I then instructed and demonstrated that she was to take nine heel-to-toe steps, touching heel-to-toe on each step. And then, on her ninth step on her lead foot, keeping it planted on the ground, she was to turn by taking small steps, and then after the turn, to take another series of nine heel-to-toe steps. I also instructed that during the test, she was to look down at her feet, count her steps out loud, keep her arms down by her side, and not stop once she began. At this time, I asked if she understood the instructions, and she confirmed she understood.

During this test, I detected three out of a possible eight clues. She could not balance during the instructions, started the testing too soon before being instructed to start, and conducted an improper turn.

The last test was the One Leg Stand. I first instructed Ms. Azbell to stand with her feet together and her arms down by her side. I then instructed her to stay in this position until I instructed her to begin. I then instructed and demonstrated that she was to raise her right or left leg six inches off the ground with her toe pointed outward.

I then instructed her to look down at her toe and to count out loud 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, etc., until I instructed her to stop. I also instructed her to keep her arms down by her side. Next, I informed her that if she had placed her foot on the ground, she was to re-raise her foot and continue from the number she had left off on.

During this test, I detected three of the four possible clubs: Ms. Azbell was swaying and hopping, and placed her foot down prior to the testing portion ending.

At this time, Ms. Azbell was handcuffed, checked for fit, double-locked, searched, and placed in the transport compartment of my unit, which was checked for contraband beforehand and none was found.

I then read her the Georgia Implied Consent green card, where she agreed to a voluntary blood draw. She was then transported to Liberty Regional Medical Center for the blood draw. While conducting the blood draw, Ms. Azbell stated that she had eight cans of unknown alcoholic beverages.

I then transported her to the Liberty County Jail, where she was arrested on the listed charges. The transport compartment was again checked for contraband, and none was found.

[End of Narrative]