Traffic Stop for Failure to Maintain Lane Results in Four Felony Arrests

According to reports out of Cherokee County, a routine traffic stop for a driver's alleged failure to maintain his lane resulted in numerous felony charges as well as four arrests.

Police attempted to pull Richard Lindsey over when he failed to maintain his lane. This allegedly resulted in a bag of methamphetamine being thrown out the window of the vehicle. This then resulted in a search of Lindsey's home where officers discovered ten pounds of methamphetamine, nine pounds of marijuana, twenty-one grams of psilocybin mushrooms, fourteen grams of hash, and two THC vape pens.

Agents then arrested all people in the home on felony drug trafficking charges.

As a Georgia DUI Lawyer, I am familiar with how a simple traffic violation can lead to a much more in depth investigation and thus much more serious charges such as those above or even DUI in Georgia. In today's post, I will outline the law behind the original traffic violation that Lindsey was accused of committing that led to the search of his vehicle and the subsequent search of his home which resulted in the felony arrests of four different individuals.

Failure to Maintain Lane in Georgia

Failure to maintain lane in Georgia is defined by the Georgia Code in O.C.G.A §40-6-48 as:

When a road has been divided into two or more clearly marked lanes for traffic, a vehicle shall be driven as nearly as practicable entirely within a single lane and shall not be moved from such lane until the driver has first ascertained that such movement can be made with safety.

By itself, the ticket will usually result in a small fine and three points on your driver's license. It is important to remember that while 3 points may not seem very much, an accumulation of 15 points in 2 years will lead to a license suspension for six months. For a person under 21 years of age, 4 points will result in the driver's license being suspended.

Failure to maintain lane is one of the most common reasons police officers cite as a basis for a traffic stop that results in a DUI investigation and arrest. Officers often testify to having seen a vehicle touch the fog line, even just one time. 

Practice Note

Now of course not every case involving minor traffic violations leads to serious charges such as those mentioned in the story above. However, it is, as I mentioned, the basis for many DUI investigations in Georgia. It can be used as an example of how a person was exhibiting less safe driving.

If you or a loved one has been arrested, contact a Georgia DUI Attorney today.