According to a Floyd County Police Department incident report, On June 14th, 2023, at 11:35 PM, Officer Puckett was sitting stationary with Officer Overstreet on GA 53 North just south of West Hermitage Road, conducting speeding enforcement. Officer Puckett observed two vehicles traveling north on GA 53 toward their position. The vehicles were traveling at a very high rate of speed that Officer Puckett visually estimated to be approximately 125mph in the posted 65mph zone. Officer Puckett reported, “While attempting to “lock” a speed on the lead vehicle, [I] heard PFC Overstreet tell me that one of the vehicle’s was showing a speed of 121mph. It was approximately 1 second later that [I] was able to get a speed of 134mph on the lead vehicle. Due to me being outside of my patrol vehicle at the time, [I] advised PFC Overstreet to attempt to stop the lead vehicle. As the lead vehicle passed by my location, [I] was able to see that it was a blue sports car. [I] could also see that the sports car was immediately slowing and moving to the right to yield for PFC Overstreet’s lights and siren. While PFC Overstreet was initiating his traffic stop, [I] observed the second vehicle, identified as a silver Ford Focus with a Georgia license plate, begin to yield to PFC Overstreet as well. However, once PFC Overstreet maneuvered his patrol vehicle behind the blue sports car, [I] observed the Focus accelerate, still traveling north on GA 53. It should be noted that at the time that the speed of 134mph was recorded, the two vehicles appeared to be approximately ten car lengths apart, and the distance between the two of them did not appear to be growing rapidly. At this time, both myself and PFC Overstreet believed the two vehicles had been racing, and [I] began attempting to catch up to the Focus. Once my patrol vehicle was behind the Focus with lights and siren activated, we traveled north a short distance before coming to a stop just south of Shannon Cir on GA 53.” Officer Puckett made contact with the driver, later identified as Julio Cesar Sajche-Silverio, 39, of Rome. Julio advised that he did not speak English. The officer then asked Julio for his driver’s license in Spanish, and he told him no. Officer Puckett observed several indicators that Julio was under the influence. During Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, Julio showed several signs of impairment and was placed under arrest for DUI. Julio refused the state test. Officers located a “6 pack” of 8oz cans of Budlight beer. The beer was still ice cold and appeared to have been recently purchased. One of the beers had been opened and still contained around half of its original contents, which indicated that Julio was drinking the beer while driving. Julio was booked into the Floyd County Jail, charged with speeding, DUI, open container, and driving without a license.
Unlicensed drunk driver arrested after driving at speeds well over 100 mph in Floyd County
