A Georgia sheriff found himself in legal trouble last week after authorities allegedly discovered him swerving erratically in a county-issued vehicle.
Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch was taken into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence, with reports indicating his blood alcohol content was nearly three times the legal limit when he was stopped at 10:30 a.m. on February 27. Couch was apprehended and briefly jailed before being released on bond that same evening.
Fox 5 Atlanta obtained a police report revealing that a Hall County deputy, who recognized the sheriff’s vehicle, observed Couch struggling to maintain his lane.
Faced with the delicate situation of witnessing his superior’s erratic driving, the deputy contacted the Georgia State Patrol to conduct an investigation, all the while continuing to follow the vehicle, according to the news outlet.
Sheriff Couch was officially arrested on DUI charges on February 27, 2026, according to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.
Upon being pulled over, the deputy noted a distinct smell of alcohol, and a state trooper who arrived at the scene reported a “strong odor of an alcoholic beverage” on Couch’s breath. The sheriff’s blood alcohol level was recorded at 0.212%, significantly exceeding the legal limit of 0.08%, as detailed in the police report.
Under questioning from officers, Couch allegedly admitted he had been drinking and said he “screwed up,” claiming to have started drinking at 6 a.m. but that he had not had another drink since 8 a.m.
The officers allegedly found two open alcoholic drinks inside the vehicle.
Details of Couch’s arrest came just days after a Pennsylvania school bus driver was accused of driving 54 elementary school children while over four times the legal alcohol limit.
School buses lined up in a parking lot (jhorrocks/iStock)
On Tuesday, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Douglass Township Police Chief Robert B. Evans announced an arrest warrant for Kelly Weber, 46, of Boyertown.
Weber is charged with driving under the influence, 54 counts each of endangering the welfare of children and reckless endangerment and related summary offenses.
Authorities said police were alerted around 4 p.m. Feb. 6 that a school bus was driving erratically and narrowly missing other vehicles.
Police responded to reports of a school bus driving erratically in Pennsylvania this this week. (iStock)
A responding officer later found the bus stopped in a snowbank.
Investigators said officers found an open 750ml bottle of Tito’s vodka, two empty 50ml bottles and a receipt showing the alcohol was purchased earlier that morning.
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