Melissa Pitzer

Name:
Pitzer, Melissa Jo

Date of Booking:
12/27/2025

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

ENDANGERING A CHILD BY DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL OR DRUGS

SAFETY RESTRAINT VIOLATION

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 12/26/2025, I was sitting stationary observing traffic on 7th Street in Tift County. I observed a silver van pass by my location. As the van passed, I noticed the driver wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. I entered the roadway and activated my emergency lights to conduct a traffic stop on the van. The van stopped in the left turning lane at the intersection of 7th street and S Magnolia Avenue.

I exited my patrol vehicle and made a drivers side approach on the van. I introduced myself and the reason for the stop to the driver. I immediately could smell the overwhelming odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from the drivers cab of the van. The driver was identified as a Melissa Jo Pitzer.

As Ms. Pitzer was speaking to me she was leaning away from me, as if she was trying to conceal the odor of alcohol from her breath. I asked Ms. Pitzer if she had consumed any alcohol today, she stated she hadn’t. I asked when was the last time she consumed any alcohol and she stated yesterday. I noticed Ms. Pitzer had slurred speech along with bloodshot and watery eyes. I could see a young female child in the rear of Ms. Pitzer’s van. I asked Ms. Pitzer to exit her van due to her not having a drivers license on her person, she complied.

Once at the rear of Ms. Pitzer’s van, I could still smell the overwhelming odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from her person. I asked her if she would provide me with a voluntary breath sample into my state issued PBT, she refused. I asked Ms. Pitzer once again how much alcohol she had to drink today, she stated she had one Corona. Ms. Pitzer stated she had just used hand sanitizer as well. As I was talking with Ms. Pitzer she kept walking back to her van. I had to step in front of Ms. Pitzer multiple times and tell her to walk back to the front of my patrol vehicle. I asked Ms. Pitzer if she would consent to Standardized Field Sobriety Evaluations to ensure she was safe to operate her van, she agreed.

I medically cleared Ms. Pitzer and placed her into the instructional stage of the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus Evaluation. As I was checking Ms. Pitzers eyes I noticed she wouldn’t follow my stimulus as I had instructed. Ms. Pitzer stated she was cross eyed and couldn’t follow the stimulus as requested. I then placed Ms. Pitzer in the instructional stage of the Walk and Turn Evaluation. I explained and demonstrated the WAT Evaluation to her. Ms. Pitzer began too soon several times before saying she was unable to preform the WAT evaluation due to her being bow-legged. I then asked Ms. Pitzer if she felt she would be able to perform the One Leg Stand Evaluation, she stated she could. I placed her in the instructional stage of the One Leg Stand Evaluation. I explained and demonstrated the Evaluation to her. During the OLS Evaluation, she displayed three out of the possible four clues. I asked Ms. Pitzer once again if she would provide me with a breath sample, she refused again.

Based on my DUI investigation, I determined Ms. Pitzer was under the influence of alcohol. I explained to Ms. Pitzer that she was going to be placed under arrest for DUI. I didn’t want to place Ms. Pitzer in handcuffs in front of her 5 year old daughter, but as I grabbed Ms. Pitzers wrist she pulled away from me. As I was attempting to place Ms. Pitzer in handcuffs she tried to resist. I placed Ms. Pitzers hands behind her back and placed her into handcuffs, double locking them and checking for tightness. I read the Ga Implied Consent Notice For Suspects Age 21 or Over, requesting the state administered blood draw. Ms. Pitzer agreed to the blood draw. TFC Owens #785 arrived on scene and stayed with Ms. Pitzers daughter until a friend could take custody of her. Ms. Pitzers daughter and van were released to [REDACTED].

I transported Ms. Pitzer to the Tift Regional Medical center. Upon our arival, Nurse [REDACTED] drew two vials of blood and placed them into a GBI blood test kit for future testing. I then transported Ms. Pitzer to the Tift County Jail. Ms. Pitzer received copies of her citations and was released to the jail staff with no further incident.

[End of Narrative]