CARYVILLE, TN (WLAF) – Campbell County Sheriff’s Deputy Preston Mullins was travelling in Caryville near Ridge Road late on the night of Sat., April 9, when he saw a maroon Toyota Tacoma straddling the white fog line. The vehicle appeared to drift back toward the center of the lane and gradually drift back to the fog line onto the rumble strips along the shoulder of the road. The vehicle then made an abrupt jerking motion back to the center of the lane. As the vehicle approached the traffic light at Elkins Rd, the driver of the vehicle turned on his right turn signal and made a U-turn at the traffic light. Deputy Mullins initiated a traffic stop on the pick-up truck. The driver made an abrupt stop on the shoulder without properly slowing to a stop, according to a report from the sheriff’s department.

As Mullins approached the vehicle, he could smell the odor of alcoholic beverage coming from inside the cab of the truck. The deputy attempted to speak with the driver identified as Nathan Lee Barnes, and Barnes began to make hand motions to indicate he could not hear. A male back seat passenger told Mullins that Barnes was deaf. Mullins was able to use hand motions to ask for Barnes drivers license just as Mullins noticed an open can of Twisted Tea in the center console beside Barnes. The deputy asked if he could read lips, and he indicated he could. Barnes was asked how many drinks he had, and he raised one finger. The same passenger made a discrete gesture to the deputy that Barnes had drank more.

Barnes was asked to step out of the truck and perform field sobriety tests on which he performed poorly. According to the report, Deputy Mullins believed Barnes was too intoxicated to properly and safely perform the rest of the test due to the test being performed on the shoulder of the road. Mullins gave the man a Tennessee implied consent form and let him read the form in its entirety. Barnes then advised he did not want to submit to blood or a breath test and signed the refusal box. Barnes was placed into custody and transported to the Campbell County Jail.

Barnes, 40, 183 Hill Lane, Caryville was charged with failure to maintain lane, driving under influence (DUI) and violation implied consent law. According to jail records at the Campbell County Sheriff’s Department, this was Barnes third arrest and his second DUI. Barnes is free this morning on a $16,000 secure bond and is scheduled to appear in court on April 28. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 04/18/2022-6AM)