Man in ‘Intoxicated State’ Tells Police He Crashed Car ‘Over Yonder’

A Dawsonville man in an apparently inebriated state initially denied drinking and driving, but later admitted he had crashed his car and left it “over yonder.”

A Gwinnett County Police officer was dispatched to the Waffle House on Hamilton Mill Road in Buford on Jan. 10 in response to a report of a suspicious person. According to the caller, the suspicious person, later identified as Thedford Sudderth, 51, of Dawsonville, appeared to be intoxicated and claimed to have been in an accident.

The officer asked Sudderth to step outside the restaurant and immediately noticed a strong odor of alcoholic beverage. The officer further noted that Sudderth appeared to be unsteady on his feet.

“I asked him if he was involved in an auto accident since I could see the scratches on his hand and head,” the officer wrote in the report. “He advised no and denied driving or drinking and stated he was waiting for his girlfriend to show up and give him a ride.”

Upon further questioning, Sudderth admitted being in an accident and said the vehicle was “over yonder.” Another officer eventually located the vehicle several miles away on Thompson Mill Road near West Rock Quarry Road.

“Due to the suspect being in an intoxicated state and admitting he was walking in the roadway to get to this location, I placed him under arrest for pedestrian under the influence,” the report stated.

After placing Sudderth under arrest, the officer drove to the location where Sudderth’s vehicle was found. The vehicle, according to the report, was resting on a dirt mound blocking a private drive.

“Due to it taking the suspect several hours to get to the location where I found him, I did not charge him with DUI but impounded his vehicle due to it blocking a private drive and being a potential road hazard since it was parked at a blind intersection,” the officer explained in the report.

Sudderth was also cited for driving on the wrong side of the roadway due to visible skid marks in the roadway near the scene of the accident.

He was released on a $2,600 bond less than five hours after being booked into the Gwinnett County Jail.

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