44-year-old Arterrius Smith was charged with his first DUI and open container violation after he was seen stopped in the middle of the road and witnessed drifting onto the shoulder of Fort Campbell Boulevard.
On September 26th, Clarksville Police Officer Jones was traveling south on Ft. Campbell Boulevard when he noticed a blue SUV overtaking two vehicles. The SUV, driven by Arterrius Smith, was clocked on the radar as doing 64 mph in a 45 mph speed zone. Officer Jones activated his emergency equipment at the intersection of Ft. Campbell Boulevard and Tiny Town Road. Smith stopped the SUV in the middle of the road on Tiny Town Rd. for a moment, accelerated, and drifted to the shoulder of the road. While speaking to Smith, a child in the back seat stated “please wait until my mommy gets here, I’m afraid to ride with him.” A young male jumped out of the vehicle stating that he was also afraid to be in the vehicle with him. Officer Jones asked Smith why were the children acting in such a manner, Smith replied that he did not know.
Officer Jones noticed that Smith had bloodshot, watery eyes and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his person. Smith stated that he had two beers. When asked to perform a field of sobriety tests, Smith stumbled when he exited the vehicle. During the walk and turn instruction phase, Smith had difficulty placing his left foot in front of his right foot. Smith lost his balance after his second attempt and told Officer Jones that he was not going to attempt the test again. Officer Jones asked Smith if he would be willing to submit to chemical testing and he stated, “No.” Upon search of the SUV, Officer Jones found an open can of Natural Ice Beer. The children in the vehicle were picked up by their mothers.
Arterrius Smith was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and open container. He was released on a $5,500 bond.
