According to a Georgia State Patrol incident report, On September 20th, 2023, at 7:42 PM, Trooper Stephens arrived at a single-vehicle hit-and-run crash on Holcomb Road in Catoosa County. The driver, later identified as Michael Eugene Ellis, 43, of Ringgold, advised he was coming from Chattanooga, TN. Trooper Stephens could smell the strong odor of alcoholic beverages on his breath. Prior to the crash, a BOLO on Ellis’s vehicle was given out to the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office for speeding and extremely reckless driving. A witness advised that he watched Ellis’s vehicle travel off the roadway and strike a road sign and a tree. The witness also advised that the vehicle fled the scene. Trooper Stephens reported, “While speaking with Mr. Ellis, his speech sounded slurred at times. [I] also noticed that his eyes were bloodshot and watery. [I] asked Mr. Ellis how much he had to drink that day, and Mr. Ellis stated, “I’m Good”. [I] asked Mr. Ellis several more times how much he had to drink that day, and Mr. Ellis continued to advise me that he was good.” During Standardized Field Sobriety, Ellis showed several signs of impairment and was placed under arrest for DUI. Ellis then refused the state test and was booked into the Catoosa County Jail. Ellis was charged with DUI, failure to notify owner upon striking fixed object, failure to maintain lane, and no insurance.
Ringgold man arrested for DUI after leaving scene of single-vehicle crash in Catoosa County
