Brandon Twp.- Deputies here aren’t having any difficulty lately spotting drunk drivers.
It’s particularly easy when one crashes into your patrol car with his truck, as was the case this week when a drunk driver hit not one, but two police vehicles.
‘We don’t even have to look’they’re running into us,? said Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Pete Burkett. ‘I don’t know if it’s a sign of the economic times? if they have more time on their hands or they’re trying to drown their sorrows in alcohol. I hope it’s not a sign of a larger problem in the community.?
According to police reports, it was about 2 a.m., Oct. 17, when a Brandon deputy northbound on Ortonville Road in his patrol car noticed a dark-in-color full-size pickup truck coming up fast behind him. The deputy was traveling about 55 mph and glanced down to check his speed. When he looked up, the truck was right behind him and still coming. The deputy tried to get out of the way, but the truck rear-ended the patrol car, disabling it. The truck’s driver kept going and the deputy called for assistance.
Another Brandon deputy happened to be just a mile away, at Ortonville Road and South Street, and saw the suspect vehicle pass. He attempted to stop the truck, activating his lights, but the truck continued north. The deputy activated his siren, following the truck for nearly a mile as it crossed the centerline and fog line several times before the driver pulled onto the shoulder and slowed to less than 5 mph. The suspect continued driving on the shoulder for about 50 yards before starting to reenter the road. The deputy maneuvered his vehicle around the suspect’s car, stopped, and exited the patrol car, which the suspect then struck on the passenger side, before finally stopping.
The suspect was identified as Ricky Gilbert Strong, a 49-year-old township resident. The deputy instructed Strong to exit the vehicle several times, but the man appeared oblivious, prompting the deputy to grab his arm and pull him out. Strong smelled of intoxicants, and needed help standing, walking and getting into the patrol vehicle. A preliminary breathalyzer test showed he had a blood alcohol content of .19 percent.
Strong was taken to the Oakland County Jail and on Oct. 18, he was arraigned on charges of operating while intoxicated, third offense, and leaving the scene of an accident. He was released on bond.
Burkett said each patrol vehicle sustained about $2,000 in damage. Neither deputy was injured.