Drunk driver pinned when moped falls on him

Tommy James Pope

By Joe Johnson

A police officer was on patrol in east Athens the afternoon of June 13th when she came across 70-year-old Tommy Pope lying in the intersection of First and Vine streets with a moped on top of him.

As the officer checked for injuries, Pope told her that he wasn’t hurt or in any pain.

The officer smelled alcohol on the fallen scooterist, who admitted that he was drunk and just trying to get home.

Pope was unable to maintain his balance and fell. The officer helped him get back up and asked if he’d submit to sobriety testing, but he refused,

He was then arrested for driving under the influence and cited for improperly stopping a vehicle in the roadway.