Drunk Tennessee Senator Ken Yager seen failing field sobriety test after hit-and-run crash
Tennessee Sen. Ken Yager was caught failing miserably at a field sobriety test after an alleged hit-and-run crash in Georgia.
Yager, 77, was arrested Tuesday after state troopers spotted his Ford Edge following a report that it had been involved in a collision with another vehicle on Jekyll Island, the Georgia Department of Public Safety said.
Officers discovered Yager, who is the Republican Senate speaker, in the parking lot of Jekyll Market, where emergency responders were already evaluating the senator after he tripped and fell, the department said.
On video obtained by News channel 5the A casually dressed senator is seen as an officer administers a field sobriety test.
Footage showed the unsteady politician struggling to walk in a straight line from heel to toe as instructed by a police officer.
Troopers asked Yager to perform the test after they “detected a distinct odor of alcohol on his breath,” the department noted.
The former teacher admitted to being involved in the collision but said he was unaware police were responding, the department said.
After undergoing a breathalyzer test, he was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and the hit-and-run before being taken to the Glynn County Jail.
Ken Yager, 77, was arrested Tuesday after state troopers spotted his Ford Edge following a report that the vehicle had been involved in a collision with another vehicle on Jekyll Island. After undergoing a breathalyzer test, Yager was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and the hit and run before being taken to the Glynn County Jail.
The casually dressed senator is seen with an officer administering a field sobriety test. Footage shows the shaky politician struggling to walk in a straight line from heel to toe as a police officer instructs him
State troopers asked Yager to perform the test after they ‘detected a distinct odor of alcohol on his breath’
Authorities will not release Yager’s blood alcohol content until the investigation is complete.
Yager, in a statement to DailyMail.com, called the situation an “unfortunate incident.”
“On the advice of my attorney, I cannot discuss the details at this time,” he said. “I have and will continue to cooperate fully with the authorities to bring this incident to an appropriate conclusion.”
The politician was on holiday at the time of the incident. The Tennessean reported.
The former lawyer used campaign funds to pay for his leased Ford, according to revelations from the outlet.
He has spent nearly $23,000 on the lease, car insurance and maintenance, including car washes, since November 2022. Nearly $17,000 of that went toward the lease.
Yager could lose his position as caucus chairman if he is indicted on the charges, as Senate ethics rules require him to resign, according to The Tennessean.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Yager for comment.