Robert Rice

Name:
Rice, Robert Allen

Date of Booking:
06/25/2026

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

RECKLESS DRIVING

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 6/14/2026 I responded to a reported hit and run on US Highway 441 near Townside Subdivision. While en route I was advised the complainant was following the vehicle to try to get the tag number of the suspect vehicle. I was then told the victim was able to get the tag number and was sideswiped by the suspect vehicle after the tag number was gotten by the victim.

The victim was directed to return to Townside where I met with the victim. The victim stated he was traveling south on US Highway 441 when a Dodge Caravan came up quickly behind him, struck him in the rear of his light gray 2015 Dodge Charger, passed him and drove off at a high rate of speed as he continued south on Highway 441. The victim stated he followed the suspect vehicle trying to get the tag number of the suspect vehicle. The victim said he followed for a while trying to catch up to the vehicle but because of the rainy weather he had a difficult time catching up.

The victim said when he caught up to the suspect vehicle he was able to get the tag of [REDACTED]. The victim stated when he caught up to the suspect the suspect acted like he was pulling off the road and when the victim pulled up next to the suspect, the suspect pulled back onto the road, sideswiped the victim’s vehicle and continued south on Highway 441.

The victim continued to follow until the victim was told to turn around and meet with me. I looked at the victim’s Dodge Charger and saw damage to the right rear of the victim’s car and a scrape going down the right side of the victim’s car. I photographed the damage to the victim’s vehicle and completed an accident report using this same case number.

I asked if the victim could identify the victim and he stated the driver was young white male with dark hair and a goatee. I ran the tag provided by the victim and saw the vehicle was a gray colored Dodge Journey and the registered owner was matched the description provided by the victim and the registered address was in Jasper County. Traveling south on Highway 441 would be a route to get back to Jasper County. I called and asked Jasper County Sheriff’s Office to go to the registered address and try to make contact with the registered owner.

I was called by the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office and advised they had contact with the registered owner. I asked the registered owner if he knew anything of the accident that occurred in Oconee County and he denied any knowledge. I asked where he had been that date and he stated he was coming home from North Carolina. I asked the route he took home and the registered owner stated he had come Interstate 85 through Commerce.

I asked if he followed Highway 441 down from Commerce and he confirmed he did. I asked if he hit someone while he was driving home and he stated “Not that I know of”. I spoke again with the Jasper County Deputy who stated he had seen and photographed damage to the front of the suspect vehicle and to the left side of the vehicle with what appeared to be light colored paint. The photographs are attached to this report.

Warrants were requested from the Magistrate Court for Reckless driving and Hit and Run for the registered owner of the Dodge Journey.

[End of Narrative]