Father With Two Children in Car Drives Erratically: Hits Two Cars: Swerves on Road
Summary:
Paragraph six reads: "According to an affidavit, Pierce told police he drank two beers and had taken depression medication. He failed a sobriety test and police found two guns, one loaded in his truck."
SSRI Stories Note: The Physicians Desk Reference states that antidepressants can cause a craving for alcohol and alcohol abuse. Also, the liver cannot metabolize the antidepressant and the alcohol simultaneously, thus leading to higher levels of both alcohol and the antidepressant in the human body.
(Cordova, TN 01/23/2010) It's a good thing Rebecca Hopkins trusted her gut feeling Friday night. She knew something wasn't right when she saw a truck hit two cars on Dexter road then speed off. So, Hopkins and her 10-year old son followed the truck.
"At first it appeared that he was going to get out and stop but instead he drove away so we said we were going to follow him to write down his license plate number," said Rebecca Hopkins.
After seeing the truck swerve in and out of lanes, Hopkins decided to call the police.
"From the accident to McDonald's he was all over the median and the road. Where he turned at the intersection he turned from the lane that was going straight and turned left," said Hopkins.
The driver, Charles Pierce, was stopping at McDonald's to get his two young daughters something to eat. When police arrived, they say smelled a strong odor of alcohol, they say Pierce's eyes were blood shot and he was slow to react to officer's commands.
According to an affidavit, Pierce told police he drank two beers and had taken depression medication. He failed a sobriety test and police found two guns, one loaded in his truck.
Pierce's ex-wife, who didn't want to go on camera, says he was in town to sign their divorce papers this week and this was his first time seeing his children in months. Pierce faces a long list of charges including DUI child endangerment.
"We could have saved their lives last night and the lives of anyone else that he could have hit. We're proud of what we did," said Hopkins.
Police say Pierce has a gun permit. He will be in court Monday.