MONROE COUNTY, Ga. — A Georgia State Patrol trooper has been placed on administrative leave after deputies arrested him on DUI charges following a crash.
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According to an incident report from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded around 5:44 a.m. on Aug. 2 to a crash on State Route 42 North near Faulkner Road. Dispatchers told responding deputies the driver sounded impaired while speaking on the phone.
When deputies arrived, they found a white Toyota Tundra in a ditch along the roadway. The driver, identified as TFC Roger Graydon, was sitting behind the wheel.
According to the report, Graydon told deputies he had fallen asleep at the wheel and failed to maintain his lane while driving to a physical training test. Deputies said they noticed Graydon’s speech was slurred while speaking with him.
After Graydon got out of the truck, deputies reported smelling a strong odor of alcohol coming from his person.
Investigators said Graydon admitted he had consumed “a couple drinks” containing Jack Daniel’s whiskey about two hours before the crash. Deputies also said Graydon acknowledged there was alcohol inside the vehicle.
When asked whether he felt capable of safely operating a vehicle after drinking, Graydon reportedly responded, “I’d rather not answer that question.”
According to the report, Graydon declined to participate in standardized field sobriety tests.
Based on his admission to drinking, the odor of alcohol, slurred speech and refusal to perform field sobriety tests, deputies arrested Graydon on a charge of DUI less safe.
After his arrest, deputies took Graydon to Monroe County Hospital, where he consented to a state-administered blood test. While waiting for the blood draw, Graydon reportedly told deputies he should have gone to bed the night before and had been celebrating his sister’s birthday.
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The blood sample was collected and submitted for analysis to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab, according to the report.
Graydon was charged with DUI (less safe) and failure to maintain lane.
In a statement, the Georgia Department of Public Safety said Graydon was off-duty and not driving a state vehicle at the time of the crash.
“Our agency was made aware of the arrest of one of our Troopers, TFC Roger Graydon, for driving under the influence in connection with a traffic crash in Monroe County,” the agency said.
The Department of Public Safety said Graydon has been placed on administrative leave and that its Office of Professional Standards has opened an internal investigation.
“The Georgia Department of Public Safety is committed to safeguarding the trust of the citizens we serve. As such, we hold our members to a high standard of conduct, both on duty and off duty,” the agency said.
Officials said the Office of Professional Standards will conduct a “complete and thorough investigation” into the incident.
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