Demetrio Hernandez

Name:
Hernandez, Demetrio Lopez

Date of Booking:
04/17/2025

Reason(s) For Booking:
DRIVING WITHOUT A VALID LICENSE (MISDEMEANOR)

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 April 17, 2025]

On 04/17/2025 at 0746 I was at Hwy 27 North and Joey Williamson at school zones, when I was dispatched to a call. I pulled out onto Hwy 27 North and was traveling Northbound when I seen a semi truck pulled on the shoulder, and a small red truck in the turn lane. I continued Northbound when I heard Deputy Sellers come over the radio and notify Cpl. Govignon that an accident had just occured at school zones. He then stated that the red truck was leaving the scene. I looked in my drivers side mirror and noticed the same red truck behind me. I activated the lights on my patrol truck (SV-238) the red truck stopped behind my patrol truck and proceeded to drive around me. When the vehicle was next to me, I motioned for the driver of the vehicle to pull over. He complied.

The driver pulled to the shoulder of the highway, just before Tank Rd. I notified dispatch that I got the vehicle pulled over and notified them of my location. I pulled behind the vehicle and ran the license plate through dispatch. I made contact with the driver and asked if he was just involved in an accident. He stated he was, and that the semi rubbed against the passenger side of his vehicle.

I advised the driver that we would need to return to the scene of the accident. I then asked the driver to provide his drivers license. He answered “I don’t have one.” I then asked the driver to step out of the vehicle. As the driver was walking to the backside of the vehicle, he stated that he had a drivers license through Mexico, and provided the license.

He then walked back to his vehicle and produced a passport. I ran the driver by name and date of birth through dispatch. The driver was identified as Demetrio Lopez Hernandez.

LT. Kyle Bradt called me landline and asked if the passport was stamped. I advised him it was not. He stated that it was not valid in that case. I advised LT. Bradt, that I would wait for another unit to verify that there was not a stamp in the passport.

I walked back to the red truck and asked the driver why he left the scene of the accident. He stated that he thought he was waved on by a deputy and drove away. He then stated that he didn’t understand english. I asked the passenger of the vehicle to step out of the vehicle to translate. He got out of the vehicle and assisted with the language barrier.

At that time, CPL. Govignon arrived on scene. I provided Cpl. Govignon with the passport and he stated there was not a stamp. He then approached Demetrio and placed him under arrest for driving without a valid license.

I transported Demetrio to the Wayne County Jail without incident.

He was issued two citations
044486s – 40-5-20 – driving without a license
044487s – 40-6-270 – leaving the scene of an accident

[End of Narrative]

[NARRATIVE #2 on April 17, 2025]

On April 17 2025, I was at Hwy 27 and Joey Williamson conducting School Zones.

While standing next to my patrol vehicle I noticed a Semi truck pulled over that was NorthBound. While standing next to my vehicle a vehicle that was coming through school zones stopped and informed me that the red truck that was in the center turn lane hit the semi that was pulled over. When I looked back over to the Semi Truck I noticed a red truck that was stopped in the center turn lane begin to leave and go Northbound towards Odum. I contacted Cpl. Govignon over the radio informing him of the possible wreck that occurred and notified him that the truck was leaving the scene.

I then walked up towards the Semi to speak with the driver. I asked if he got hit and he informed me that the red truck hit him.

Deputy Govignon and Deputy Wall handled the rest of the incident.

[End of Narrative]