This story has been updated. 

Decatur Police have accused a driver of being under the influence when she struck a utility pole on South Candler Street.

The crash occurred on June 5. Police responded to the call at 11:21 a.m.

“Decatur Police responded to a single vehicle accident in the 500 block of South Candler Street,” Police Lt. Jennifer Ross said. “The vehicle was traveling northbound on South Candler Street when it left the roadway and struck a utility pole. The driver did not have any apparent injuries, nor complained of injuries from the accident. The driver was taken into custody for failure to maintain lane and driving under the influence of alcohol and placed in the rear of a patrol vehicle.”

“The driver was removed from the patrol vehicle and transported to an area hospital by EMS,” Ross said.

The driver was identified as a 22-year-old woman from Decatur and was released on citations at the hospital.

Readers have in the past wanted to know why some suspects accused of DUI are released on citations and not arrested when they leave the hospital.

As Ross previously explained, officers have the option of releasing someone “on citations” in cases where the driver is suspected of driving under the influence.

“When we have someone in custody on traffic charges or low level misdemeanors and they have been in an accident or are complaining of injury, we can do what is called ‘releasing them on a copy of charges,’ meaning they have been charged with an arrestable offense but were released on citations,” Ross said. “The jail will not take someone complaining of injury or who has been in a recent accident without hospital clearance anyway. If someone is in custody for something more serious and they are transported to the hospital, we must have an officer stay with them until warrants can be obtained and custody is taken over by the Sheriff’s department. It is a process that sometimes ties up our patrol officers through multiple shifts.”

Ross added, “When the case goes to court, the Judge will see the defendant was not booked into the jail upon arrest and will address any mandatory jail time during sentencing if they are found guilty.”

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