Two Virginia residents are facing charges after a traffic stop Monday afternoon in Elizabethton.
Randall Hurt, 54, 328 Anderson St., Gate City, Va., was arrested Monday by Elizabethton Police Department Sgt. Matt Croy and charged with first offense driving under the influence, simple possession of Schedule III drugs and simple possession of Schedule IV drugs.
Deborah Combs, 58, 328 Anderson St., Gate City, Va., was arrested Monday by EPD Cpl. Doug Combs and charged with public intoxication.
According to police reports, officers of the EPD were dispatched to the area of West Elk Avenue after a call came in to Carter County 911 reporting a possible intoxicated driver in a gray Jeep Cherokee. Croy said he observed the vehicle traveling eastbound on West Elk Avenue near Sycamore Shoals Hospital. Croy said as he neared the vehicle, he saw the driver turn into the parking lot of the hospital “nearly causing a collision with another vehicle that had the right of way.”
Once the vehicle entered the parking lot, Croy said the driver traveled through the parking lot while driving in the lane for oncoming traffic. The officer said the driver then pulled into a parking space and exited the vehicle, which is when Croy made his initial contact with the driver, identified as Hurt.
“Mr. Hurt was unsteady on his feet, had slurred speech, and heavy eyelids,” Croy said. “I asked Mr. Hurt if he was on medication and he stated only prescribed medication.”
Croy said Hurt performed poorly on field sobriety tests and was taken into custody.
During a routine inventory of the vehicle, Croy said officers found several different pills located in a pill container/grinder which Hurt identified as his prescribed medication. However, he was unable produce a prescription for the pills.
During the traffic stop, officers also spoke with the passenger in the vehicle, identified as Deborah Combs, who Cpl. Doug Combs said exhibited slow movements and slurred speech.
“Ms. Combs was asked to exit the vehicle in order to conduct field sobriety tests,” Cpl. Combs said in his report. “Ms. Combs admitted to being impaired and advised she had taken Xanax, Lortab and Neurontin.”
At that time, Deborah Combs was also taken into custody.
Hurt and Deborah Combs were transported to the Carter County Detention Center where they were later released. Both are scheduled to appear in Carter County General Sessions Court on Oct. 20.