Tonya Williams

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Name:
Williams, Tonya Denise

Date of Booking:
04/18/2026

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

SERIOUS INJURY BY VEHICLE

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 April 18th, 2026 at approximately 1953 hours, Deputies were dispatched to [300 BLOCK] Dave Williams Road in reference to a vehicle crash with injuries. I arrived on scene to [300 BLOCK] Dave Williams Road, 12 Gauge Hunting Club’s Annual Trail Ride, and was escorted to the back of the property by an event worker. I located a green Polaris Ranger 1000 XP with front end damage next to a trailer. Sitting on the trailer was 2 females who were passengers on the Ranger.

I observed injuries to Ms. [VICTIM #1]’ face. Her jaw was seriously injured. She had a large amount of blood coming from her mouth/chin area and could not speak. Other participants of the trail ride were applying pressure with napkins to control the bleeding. I also observed injuries to the other passenger, [VICTIM #2]. Ms. [VICTIM #2] had about a 3 inch cut above her left eye brow on her forehead. I provided Ms. [VICTIM #2] with a roll of gauze to help control the bleeding.

At this time Liberty County EMS and Liberty County Fire Department arrived on scene to provide medical treatment. Ms. [VICTIM #1] was seated in the middle seat of the Rnager during the crash and Ms. [VICTIM #2] was seated on the far right side of the seat during the crash.

I located the driver of the Ranger, Ms. Tonya Williams. I began to speak with Ms. Williams and immediately smelled the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from her person. Ms. Williams was unsteady on her feet and was swaying side to side. Ms. Williams displayed bloodshot and watery eyes. Ms. Williams was also slurring her words when speaking with me. I asked Ms. Williams what happened and she advised me her boots got stuck. I asked her to explain further and she advised the following, she was in the mud pit and as she was coming out of it, she had to accelerate.

After she accelerated she tried to hit the brakes but her Georgia Boots were to heavy and got stuck. She then hit a parked gooseneck style trailer attached to a truck. Ms. Williams did not have any complaint of injury or appear to be injured. I asked Ms. Williams how much alcohol she had consumed and she advised me 2 drinks. I asked Ms. Williams if she would participate in Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, she hesitated but ultimately agreed to the testing. Testing is as followed:

Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus -2/6 clues
Lack of Smooth Pursuit

At this point, Ms. Williams continously did not follow instructions after stated she understood. She would not stop moving her head while attempting to follow my stimulus. Ms. Williams was asked several times if she understood, she told me she did. Ms. Williams was swaying side to side and front to back. Ms. Williams was also having a hard time keeping her eyes open at points for me to be able to see them. At this point, I concluded the test due to Ms. Williams continously not following instructions.

I placed Ms. Williams under arrest and into double locked handcuffs, behind her back, for DUI. Ms. Williams was searched incident to arrest, no contraband was found. Ms. Williams was secured into the backseat of my patrol vehicle. Ms. Williams was read the Georgia Implied Consent Notice for blood, she did not answer the question. Ms. Williams kept saying, “You did not give me a test”. Ms. Williams was seat belted into the back seat of my patrol vehicle. I returned to the driver seat of my patrol vehicle to gather information on Ms. Williams. When I did that, an overwhelming odor commonly associated with an alcoholic beverage quickly filled the cabin of my patrol vehicle.

I was unable to get a statement from Ms. [VICTIM #2] or Ms. [VICTIM #1] due to them being transported by Liberty County EMS to Memorial Health in Savannah, GA.

I made contact with the owner of the Ranger, [REDACTED], and obtained his vehicle information. I released custody to Mr. [REDACTED] of the Ranger after obtaining several pictures of the crash scene. I spoke with the owner of the gooseneck trailer, [REDACTED], and observed minor damage. There was a bent piece of metal where the ramps swivel on the body of the trailer. Pictures were obtained of the damage. All pictures obtained from this scene have been uploaded into the report. The trailer was a Big Tex Gooseneck 35 foot trailer.

I transported Ms. Williams to the Liberty County Jail. While en route to the Jail, Ms. Williams advised she wanted a blood draw. I re-routed to the Liberty Regional Medical Center. The blood draw was completed by [REDACTED] in the laboratory. Ms. Williams was transported to the Liberty County Jail. Ms. Williams was released to booking staff on a DUI citation at this time. I secured the GBI blood kit into evidence locker #003 in the Liberty County Jail.

At approximately 2242 hours, I spoke with Ms. [REDACTED] with Liberty County EMS. Ms. [REDACTED] advised me that [VICTIM #1] possibly had a broken jaw. After deliberating with Sgt. Levin Tomlinson, I drove to Memorial in Savannah. I made contact at the Trauma room A4 with Ms. [VICTIM #1]. Ms. [VICTIM #1] could barely speak but did tell me she had a broken jaw and would have surgery the next day. I obtained a picture of Ms. [VICTIM #1]’ mouth and it’s clear her lower gum is split down the middle. Ms. [VICTIM #1] was unable to provide a statement at this time due to the pain and her being unable to speak clearly.

I also spoke with Ms. [VICTIM #2] in room B36. Ms. [VICTIM #2] advised me they were riding the Ranger and it was either hit the tree or the trailer. She advised me she did have her seat belt on. Ms. [VICTIM #2] was about to receive sutures from a nurse, this conversation was concluded.

I returned to the Liberty County Jail, where I secured a warrant through Magistrate Court on Ms. Williams. This warrant is for serious injury by motor vehicle, in regards to Ms. [VICTIM #1]’ broken jaw. A hold was placed on Ms. Williams at the jail as well.

My Axon cameras were active during this event, as well as at the hospital. The back seat of my patrol vehicle was searched prior to and after transport, no contraband was found.

[End of Narrative]

All information is sourced directly from the official, public court database. Case history is organized and curated by The Georgia Gazette staff. The “What this means:” explanations are written by AI and reviewed by our staff before publishing.

Court records are subject to change at the court’s discretion. The Georgia Gazette is not responsible for errors or omissions. Nothing here is legal advice. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Case History:

4/18/26

TONYA DENISE WILLIAMS ARRESTED AND BOOKED — LIBERTY COUNTY

What this means: Tonya Denise Williams was arrested and booked into the Liberty County jail on April 18, 2026. She is accused of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol and Serious Injury by Vehicle. These are the charges that triggered the court proceedings reflected in the documents below.

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4/20/26

MAGISTRATE COURT ORDERS BOND FOR TONYA DENISE WILLIAMS

What this means: On April 20, 2026, Magistrate Court Judge Michael E. Silverman signed an Order for Bond in Liberty County under Warrant No. 26-WF-006335C (Case No. 260418208). Tonya Denise Williams was granted bond in the total amount of $5,000 — with $0 cash and $10,000 in property required as surety — to assure her appearance at arraignment, trial, and final disposition in the Superior Court of Liberty County on the felony charge of Serious Injury by Vehicle (O.C.G.A. 40-6-394). If she failed to make bond, she was to remain in the Liberty County jail until released by due process of law.

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4/21/26

FIRST APPEARANCE HEARING HELD — TONYA DENISE WILLIAMS ADVISED OF RIGHTS AND CHARGES

What this means: On April 21, 2026, Tonya Denise Williams appeared before the Magistrate Court of Liberty County for a First Appearance Hearing under Warrant No. 26-WF-006341C. At this hearing, the court advised her of the charges against her — specifically Serious Injury by Vehicle, a felony under O.C.G.A. 40-6-394 — and informed her of her legal rights, including the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney. The document reflects that Williams indicated she has retained an attorney or wants to hire one, and that she waived her right to a Commitment Hearing. A court date was set for April 19, 2026. A First Appearance Hearing is not a trial and does not determine guilt or innocence — it is simply the first formal step where the court ensures the defendant knows what they are charged with and what rights they have.

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4/21/26

SURETY BOND POSTED — TONYA DENISE WILLIAMS RELEASED ON BOND

What this means: On April 21, 2026, a surety bond in the amount of $6,250 was posted on behalf of Tonya Denise Williams through Tri-County Bonding, with Jennifer Flournoy acting as security. The bond was attested and approved by Liberty County Sheriff William Bowman. This bond was conditioned on Williams appearing before the Superior Court of Liberty County for her arraignment as required under Georgia law. A surety bond means a bail bonding company is guaranteeing to the court that the defendant will show up — if she fails to appear, the bonding company is responsible for the full bond amount.