Raynard Roberson

Name:
Roberson, Raynard

Date of Booking:
08/12/2026

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

DRIVING WHILE LICENSE SUSPENDED/ WITHDRAWN/ REVOKED

DUI – DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL – CONCENTRATION IS 0.08G OR MORE WITHIN 3 HRS OR MORE

FOLLOWING TOO CLOSELY

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 August 11, 2026, at approximately 9:49 p.m., I, Officer John Adams, was stationary in the area of South Harris Street when I heard another officer on the radio en route to a call regarding a traffic hitand-run. While en route, my supervisor requested that I check the Walmart parking lot, located at 1308 South Harris Street, for a black SUV believed to be involved in the hit-and-run motor vehicle accident (MVA) in the area of the No Limits Pawn. I searched the Walmart parking lot but was unable to locate a vehicle matching the description that had visible damage.

I then observed a black SUV parked in the parking lot of Murphy’s USA, a gas station/convenience store. Two individuals were standing near the vehicle. I approached the individuals and made contact with a female, later identified as Ms. [WITNESS #1]. I asked Ms. [WITNESS #1] if the vehicle had been involved in an accident. Ms. [WITNESS #1] stated, “He (Mr. Raynard Roberson) just pulled up. He’s fu*ked up.” I walked toward the front of the vehicle and observed visible front-end damage. I also observed damage to the passenger-side of the vehicle, indicative of a side-swipe, but was unable to determine if that damage was caused by the recent accident or a separate event.

I made contact with Mr. Raynard Roberson. During my initial contact with Mr. Roberson, I immediately observed that he was unable to maintain his balance and nearly fell several times throughout the encounter. Mr. Roberson’s speech was extremely slurred and mumbled when he attempted to speak. I also detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from Mr. Roberson. I asked Mr. Roberson how much alcohol he had consumed. Mr. Roberson initially stated, “I haven’t drank that much, just a sip or two.” Mr. Roberson did not have a physical identification card in his possession and identified himself by providing his name and date of birth. A records check of Mr. Roberson’s information revealed that his driver’s license was suspended as of April 23, 2010, for “Failure to Appear.” Dispatch subsequently confirmed that Mr. Roberson’s driver’s license status was suspended.

Another officer informed me that the other vehicle involved in the collision was a white Toyota 4Runner owned by Ms. [VICTIM #1]. I was advised that Ms. [VICTIM #1]’s 4Runner had been traveling on South Harris Street near No Limits Pawn when another vehicle struck the rear of the 4Runner and left the scene without stopping or exchanging information. Pictures of both vehicles will be attached to the report as well as a separate accident report in regards to the MVA portion of the incident.

I again asked Mr. Roberson how much alcohol he had consumed. Mr. Roberson stated, “A cup of liquor, Hennessy. Probably about a half hour ago.” Mr. Roberson further stated that he did not know whose vehicle he had struck but acknowledged that he had struck another vehicle. Throughout my encounter with Mr. Roberson, he continued to have difficulty maintaining his balance and leaned against nearby vehicles for support. Mr. Roberson also demonstrated difficulty understanding and following basic instructions, and attempted to walk off multiple times after being instructed not to walk away. I asked Mr. Roberson to rate how much he was feeling the effects of alcohol on a scale of one to ten. Mr. Roberson stated, “Not much, just a little.”

I asked Mr. Roberson if he would perform Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFSTs), and Mr. Roberson agreed to participate in the testing.

Standardized Field Sobriety Testing

Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) – I observed a lack of smooth pursuit, nystagmus onset prior to 45 degrees, and nystagmus at maximum deviation in both eyes. I observed vertical HGN in both eyes. Mr. Roberson moved his head from side to side with the stimulus multiple times during the test. I observed six out of six validated clues during HGN testing.

Walk and Turn and One Leg Stand tests were not performed due to concerns for Mr. Roberson’s safety, as he was unable to maintain his balance and was at risk of falling and injuring himself.

I requested Mr. Roberson to submit to a PBT (Preliminary Breath Test) to confirm the presence of alcohol in Mr. Roberson’s breath. Mr. Roberson stated that he would perform a PBT test. Mr. Roberson then placed his mouth on the blow straw but did not blow into the straw. Mr. Roberson was given a second opportunity to blow into the PBT. Mr. Roberson placed his mouth on the PBT but again did not blow into the PBT. I advised Mr. Roberson that he was not blowing into the PBT. Mr. Roberson responded, “I’ll blow. I’ll blow.” I made a third attempt to administer the PBT to Mr. Roberson, at which time Mr. Roberson refused to blow into the PBT.

Based on the following facts and circumstances, I found probable cause to arrest Mr. Roberson for O.C.G.A. 40-6-391(a)(5), D.U.I. – Driving with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 grams or more:

Six out of six validated clues observed during HGN testing
Inability to safely perform two out of three SFSTs
Admission to having recently consumed an alcoholic beverage
Inability to maintain his balance while standing
Mumbling and slurred speech
Rear-ending another vehicle, indicating unsafe driving behavior
Odor of an alcoholic beverage
Refusal to provide a breath sample for the РBT

I placed double-locked handcuffs on Mr. Roberson’s wrists, with his arms behind his back. I searched Mr. Roberson’s clothing, including his inner pockets and waistband, for any weapons or contraband, and nothing of interest was found. I escorted Mr. Roberson to the rear passenger seat of my patrol vehicle. I read Mr. Roberson Georgia’s Implied Consent Notice (suspects over 21), requesting a blood sample. Mr. Roberson consented to the blood draw.

I placed the lap and shoulder restraint around Mr. Roberson’s waist and torso. I escorted Mr. Roberson to Washington County Regional Medical Center, where his blood was drawn by medical professional Ms. [REDACTED]. Two vials of blood were drawn from Mr. Roberson using a GBI Blood Alcohol Kit. The kit was later placed into the evidence refrigerator at the Sandersville Police Department and submitted to the GBI Crime Lab. I escorted Mr. Roberson to the Sandersville Police Department and collected Mr. Roberson’s fingerprints. I transported Mr. Roberson to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, where custody of Mr. Roberson was transferred to the Sheriff’s Office.

I produced warrants for Mr. Roberson’s arrest for the following offenses:

O.C.G.A. 40-6-391(a)(5), D.U.I. – Alcohol, for being in control of a moving vehicle while having a blood alcohol concentration of .08 grams or more.

O.C.G.A. 40-5-121, Suspended License, for being in control of a vehicle on a public highway while his driver’s license was suspended.

O.C.G.A. 40-6-270, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, for leaving the scene of an accident involving damage and failing to stop and provide the required information.

O.C.G.A. 40-6-49, Following Too Closely, for following another vehicle more closely than was reasonable and prudent, resulting in a collision with the vehicle in front of him.

I later spoke with Ms. [VICTIM #1] by phone for further clarification on how the accident occurred. Ms. [VICTIM #1] advised me that she was in the center turning lane facing north on South Harris Street, slowing down. Ms. [VICTIM #1] advised me that is when she felt her vehicle be struck front the rear. Ms. [VICTIM #1] stated the vehicle then drove off towards Walmart.

[End of Narrative]