Alleged drunk driver causes three-vehicle wreck on Athens Perimeter

Eric Joseph Cumming

By Joe Johnson

A Morgan County man was arrested Wednesday night after he caused a three-vehicle accident on the Athens Perimeter allegedly while intoxicated.

Eric Cumming was driving a 2005 GMC Sierra pickup truck on the highway’s inner loop near the Ocone Street exit when it crashed into the rear of a Jeep, propelling it into a third vehicle.

Traffic in front of Cumming reportedly had slowed because of a stopped vehicle in the roadway.

No injuries were reported, and police said that there were clear indications that the 50-year-old man from the city of Madison had been drinking.

He agreed to roadside sobriety testing, which was called off due to his inability to keep his balance.

Cumming claimed to have consumed just two beers a couple of hours earlier. However, a breathalyzer test conducted at the downtown police precinct indicated a blood-alcohol concentration of .183 percent, more than twice the legal limit.

He was arrested for driving under the influence and following another vehicle too closely, and released several hours later upon posting a $1,500 bond.