David Stover

Name:
Stover, David Andrew Jim

Date of Booking:
04/18/2026

Reason(s) For Booking:
Driving Without A Valid License, Misd

Hit & Run; Driver To Stop/ Return To Accident Scene

Failure To Yield While Turning Left

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 17, 2026 at 2325 I was dispatched to the area of the Bypass & Haigmill Lake Rd in reference to a hit and run.

When I arrived on scene I met with the victims, [VICTIM #1] & [VICTIM #2]. Both [VICTIM #1] and [VICTIM #2] were in a 1999 silver Chevrolet Silverado [REDACTED BY AGENCY]. Both [VICTIM #1] and [VICTIM #2] stated that they were traveling east on the bypass near Haigmill in the left lane. Both stated that as they were crossing the intersection, a blue 2009 Toyota Tacoma [REDACTED BY AGENCY] was traveling west on the bypass near Haigmill.

[VICTIM #1] and [VICTIM #2] both stated that as they were going through the intersection the blue truck made a quick left turn onto Drake Rd. [VICTIM #1] and [VICTIM #2] then stated that as the blue truck made the left turn the front passenger side collided with the front driver side of their truck. [VICTIM #1] and [VICTIM #2] then stated that the blue truck continued to drive down Drake Rd and then turned around and came back. The blue truck then made a right turn back onto the bypass. The blue truck drove past their truck as it was sitting in the middle of the road and traveled east.

I then spoke with the witness who saw the entire event, [WITNESS #1]. [WITNESS #1] stated that he was traveling east on the bypass in the right lane slightly behind [VICTIM #1] and [VICTIM #2]’s truck. [WITNESS #1] then confirmed [VICTIM #1] and [VICTIM #2]s version of events. [WITNESS #1] stated that as [VICTIM #1] and [VICTIM #2] were crossing through the intersection of the Bypass & Hagmill Lake Rd the blue truck made a quick left turn and collided with [VICTIM #2] & [VICTIM #1].

[WITNESS #1] then stated that the blue truck continued down Drake Rd. [WITNESS #1] then stated that the blue truck came back down towards the accident making a right turn onto the bypass and drove east, passing by both him and the truck he collided with. [WITNESS #1] stated that as the truck was driving past he got a look at the tag and was able to write it down. [WITNESS #1] also stated that he got a look at the driver. [WITNESS #1] stated that the tag number was [REDACTED BY AGENCY] and was being driven by what looked to be a hispanic male who had facial hair and heavy set.

I then looked up the tag that was given to me to see who owned it. This came back to a [WITNESS #2]. I called [WITNESS #2] and spoke with him over the phone. While on the phone I asked him if his blue truck was in the driveway. [WITNESS #2] stated that his daughter [WITNESS #3] had the truck and was supposed to be on her way back home in Ellijay from Dalton with her boyfriend David Stover. I then asked [WITNESS #2] for [WITNESS #3] and David’s contact information. [WITNESS #2] then passed the phone to his wife, [WITNESS #4] so she could provide me with the information.

I then notified [WITNESS #4] that the truck was involved in a hit and run accident. [WITNESS #4] then called [WITNESS #3] to ask where she was and what happened while I was still on the phone with her. I heard [WITNESS #3] tell [WITNESS #4] that she did not hit another vehicle that she had struck a guard rail. I then told [WITNESS #4] that I needed [WITNESS #3] and David to come back to Dalton so I could speak with them in person. [WITNESS #4] then stated that [WITNESS #3] and David were almost back at [WITNESS #4]’s home in Ellijay and she would bring them to the police department to meet with me. I told [WITNESS #4] that I would also need them to bring the truck as well. [WITNESS #4] stated that she would do that. Roughly about 30 minutes later, [WITNESS #4] called me back and stated that [WITNESS #3] told her that she had hit the other truck and had panicked and fled the scene.

Roughly 4 hours later [WITNESS #4] arrived with [WITNESS #3] and David I first went and spoke with [WITNESS #3]. [WITNESS #3] stated that they came to Dalton to have dinner. [WITNESS #3] stated that they were at Longhorns and David had too much to drink and so she decided to drive them back home. When I asked [WITNESS #3] what happened she stated that she was on the bypass and was going to do a u-turn. [WITNESS #3] then stated that when she was trying to stop but her foot was on the wrong pedal and she collided with the truck as she was turning onto Drake Rd.

[WITNESS #3] stated that she panicked and left the scene. I asked [WITNESS #3] if they were both wearing their seatbelts. [WITNESS #3] stated that she was but she was unsure if David was. I then asked [WITNESS #3] if she jerked forward when she collided the truck. She stated she did a little but the seatbelt caught her. I then asked [WITNESS #3] if she could show me her shoulder where the seatbelt would have been.

[WITNESS #3] agreed and automatically went to show her right shoulder. On her right shoulder there were slight marks of where the seatbelt had caught her. This shows that during the time of the accident she was in the passenger side not the driver side. I then confronted [WITNESS #3] with this and told her that this showed that she was not driving and asked her again what happened and this time to be honest.

[WITNESS #3] then admitted that she was in the passenger seat and David was driving. [WITNESS #3] then stated that she should not have let David drive because he was intoxicated. [WITNESS #3] then stated that David was getting ready to do a u-turn on the bypass where Haigmill Lake Rd is and then struck the truck. [WITNESS #3] then stated that David panicked because he is on probation and fled the scene. [WITNESS #3] stated to me that she was attempting to take the blame because she did not want David to get in trouble and go to jail.

I then went and spoke with David. When I went to speak with David he seemed to be intoxicated. David was slurring his words and had red glassy eyes. David stated that when he was at the restaurant he had a pint of beer and a four finger whiskey. I asked David what restaurant they were at and he was unable to tell me. David then stated that he got in the passenger seat and [WITNESS #3] was driving. When I asked David what happened he told me that he could not remember.

David then stated that he did not want [WITNESS #3] to get into trouble. I then told David if he did not want [WITNESS #3] to get in trouble then he needed to tell the truth. I then asked David again where he was in the truck at the time of the accident. David then stated again that he was in the passenger seat and was not driving. David also stated that he was not going to give any information and incriminate himself. I asked David if he was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident and he stated that he was not. When I ran David trough GCIC I also discovered that David had a provisional DUI license that had expired in 2025.

Based on the physical evidence of the seatbelt mark on [WITNESS #3] and the description the witness provided to me at the time of the accident I placed David under arrest for hit and run. I placed David in cuffs and notified to him that he was under arrest for hit and run. I then brought David to the front of my patrol car and Officer Wingate searched David incident to arrest. Once the search was completed I checked the back of my patrol car for any contraband and buckled him in.

I then notified [WITNESS #3] that David was under arrest for hit and run and asked her to show me the damage to the truck. [WITNESS #3] showed this to me and Officer Wingate took photos for me. The tag number matched the tag that was given to me by the witness. I have also attached photos of the truck and its damage to the report. I then went back to my patrol car to begin my transport to the jail.

I provided dispatch my beginning mileage. Once at the jail I provided dispatch with my ending mileage. I then secured my firearm in the sally port and escorted David into booking. Once in booking David was asked if he would be willing to blow into intox. David declined. I then went back to my patrol car and wrote the following citations:

OCGA 40-5-20 License- Driving while unlicensed or expired (Citation 666151)
OCGA 40-60-270 Leaving the scene of an accident (Citation 666152)
OCGA 40-6-71 Failure to yield while turning left (Citation 666153)

About 15 minutes later I went back inside to provide David with the information on the citations and he was passed out asleep. I then woke David and provided him with the information. I then gave David’s copies of the citations to booking staff. I then retrieved my weapon from the sally port and searched my vehicle to see if David had left any contraband in my patrol car.

David stated that he is a U.S. citizen.

[End of Narrative]