Ronnie Lewis was shocked Friday when he got a letter in his mailbox from the Georgia Department of Driver Services saying his license was suspended. He was caught even further off guard because it was for a DUI conviction he says never happened.
Now Lewis says he's having little success trying to clear up the matter.
"I couldn't sleep last night. It was just unbelievable knowing that people don't care, they just look at it as a piece of paper and they'll deal with it when they have time to deal with it, not realizing this is messing with someone's everyday life," Lewis told Channel 2's Eric Philips. "I do not drink. I just don't, and for me to get a DUI is ridiculous."
Lewis set out Tuesday to clear the matter up in person after failing to get anywhere on the phone.
"They took me to the Solicitor's Office, then back to the court, and then went back to the Solicitor's Office, and then back to the court. Big run around. Then finally they told me that they'd made a mistake. That I was right, that it was somebody else," Lewis said.
The State Court of Cobb County gave him a correction request form which read in part "due to a clerical error the above charge was submitted to DDS. Please remove this charge from Mr. Lewis' driving record."
Lewis told Philips the situation could have been much worse had he been stopped while unknowingly driving with a suspended license.
"I would have went to jail for something I knew nothing about," Lewis said. "So at the end of the day, just realize it really does affect the everyday person when someone makes a mistake like that."
An official with the Georgia Department of Driver Services told Philips that in a situation like this, the burden of proof is always on the one who's been accused.
Now Lewis says he's having little success trying to clear up the matter.
"I couldn't sleep last night. It was just unbelievable knowing that people don't care, they just look at it as a piece of paper and they'll deal with it when they have time to deal with it, not realizing this is messing with someone's everyday life," Lewis told Channel 2's Eric Philips. "I do not drink. I just don't, and for me to get a DUI is ridiculous."
Lewis set out Tuesday to clear the matter up in person after failing to get anywhere on the phone.
"They took me to the Solicitor's Office, then back to the court, and then went back to the Solicitor's Office, and then back to the court. Big run around. Then finally they told me that they'd made a mistake. That I was right, that it was somebody else," Lewis said.
The State Court of Cobb County gave him a correction request form which read in part "due to a clerical error the above charge was submitted to DDS. Please remove this charge from Mr. Lewis' driving record."
Lewis told Philips the situation could have been much worse had he been stopped while unknowingly driving with a suspended license.
"I would have went to jail for something I knew nothing about," Lewis said. "So at the end of the day, just realize it really does affect the everyday person when someone makes a mistake like that."
An official with the Georgia Department of Driver Services told Philips that in a situation like this, the burden of proof is always on the one who's been accused.
WSBTV
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