A drunk driver wasn’t seriously hurt but he caused damage for at least three property owners in a traffic accident Wednesday night on Highway 146 (Short Mountain Road).
Sergeant Eric McCormick of the Tennessee Highway Patrol told WJLE that 36 year old Franklin Rigsby of Smithville has been charged with driving under the influence and cited for failure to maintain his lane of travel.
Sergeant McCormick said Rigsby was driving south on Highway 146 in a Ford Explorer and was near the intersection with Tabernacle Road when he failed to negotiate a curve and left the road.
According to Assistant DeKalb County Fire Chief David Agee, Rigsby’s SUV first tore down a fence and gate on property belonging to Eddie Taylor and then ran through the front yard of Mary Chapman at 9088 Short Mountain Highway, damaging yard furniture and demolishing her well house. Rigsby’s SUV continued through a thicket of woods, struck a fence on property belonging to Herbert Rose, and then damaged a yard swing before crashing into the front porch of Rose’s home at 9126 Short Mountain Highway, knocking the porch off its foundation.
Both Chapman and Rose said they were awakened by the noise of the crash outside their homes.
Rigsby, who suffered only minor injuries, was taken into custody.
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