A Murfreesboro man faces DUI charges after a Cannon County deputy investigating a wreck found him lying in a creek bed surrounded by dogs.According to police reports, Deputy Chip Avera was dispatched to Seals Hollow Road for a one vehicle accident involving a 1997 grey Buick registered to Michael or Vivian Hoover. Upon arrival to the scene, Deputy Avera noticed no one was in the vehicle. He also noticed beer cans in the passenger floor board.
A volunteer emergency worker who was assisting at the scene told Avera that a man who appeared intoxicated was walking down the road a few tenths of a mile away. The deputy went in search of the man and found him lying on the creek embankment surrounded by several dogs. The man had a laceration and knot on his forehead, and was having trouble getting up the creek bank.
After being assisted to firmer ground, the man stated he was Michael Shane Hoover. Police reports show he told the deputy he had been sitting at the creek with his dogs. Minutes later, however, Hoover changed his story and told the deputy that he had wrecked the vehicle up the road in the creek.
He also told the deputy he was the only one in the vehicle and had been drinking before the accident. The report shows he volunteered to perform the standardized field sobriety tests, and performed both unsatisfactorily. He was then transported back to the scene of the accident to be evaluated by the EMS.
A license check showed Hoover’s license was suspended because of prior DUIs. Hoover was arrested and charged with DUI third offense, driving on a revoked driver license first offense and failure to provide financial responsibility.
He was also served a notice of property seizure, and his car was towed to the Cannon County Sheriff’s Department. The initial court date is set for April 5th.