By Alaina Anderson | Thursday, Apr 26, 2007 - 06:53 PM Updated: 09:24 PM
Georgia state troopers say they're doing everything they can to keep you safe – even though the state patrol is hundreds of troopers short.
The GSP says it has 750 troopers, but should have 200 more. Because of that shortage, fewer troopers are monitoring the roads during late night and early morning hours. Around 2 o’clock am, all of Georgia's troopers call it a night, leaving radio operators to handle calls.
If there are accidents, the operators get in touch with the on duty troopers who must get out of bed to respond.
This issue affects many of you in the Coastal Empire because some troopers say the shortage means dangerous drivers aren't getting caught. A Statesboro woman says that was the case in an accident we first told you about early last month.
Her home was ripped off its foundation after a driver crashed his truck into the house. "A drunk driver drove straight across the highway, came through the yard, through the house, and kept going until he stopped finally in the woods," Jamie Crunkelton told us on March 8th.
The accident happened around four in the morning while the owner's brother was asleep inside the home. Sheriff's deputies suspected the driver was drunk, but didn't arrest him until two hours later.
"But we found out they didn't have the authority to do the breathalizer, we had to wait for the Georgia State Patrol. He was able to stand out there for two hours and start sobering up," Crunkelton told us.
When troopers arrived, they charged the driver with DUI and failure to stop at a stop sign. But the home owner was still upset that it took so long for the Georgia State Patrol to get there.
One post in our area that closes even earlier than 2am is Sylvania's. That post covers Screven, Burke and Jenkins counties. Sunday through Thursday it closes at 11 pm, then all calls get forwarded to the GSP office in Statesboro. But that doesn't mean no one's watching.
Sergeant 1st Class Sammy Young says the Sylvania and Statesboro posts work together to keep roads safe. He says every month they send Sylvania troopers to the Statesboro area to help patrol and the same goes for Statesboro troopers. Young says it’s all part of an effort to fight those driving under the influence.
