Union County Sheriff’s Deputy’s Vehicle was Struck by Drunk Driver

While Union County Sheriff’s Deputy Jesse Ellis was on patrol Thursday, February 23, 2017 he traveled east on Highway 61 East, but just before midnight, Ellis noticed a dark colored pickup truck traveling west.

The vehicle began traveling in the oncoming lane that Ellis was in. As the vehicle got closer and closer it also got further over into the eastbound lane. Ellis had reached his limit on how far he could get over without wrecking himself. That is when the pickup truck struck Ellis’ patrol car on the rear driver side fender, but the vehicle didn’t stop. It continued to travel west on Highway 61 East.

The vehicle was later located by additional deputies on Tater Valley Road where it was stopped in the middle of the roadway. It was relatively easy to locate according to deputies. The vehicle had left a trail of antifreeze and had taken down numerous mail boxes.

Once located, the officers approached the vehicle. A male was discovered inside the vehicle with the vehicle still running. He was passed out and slumped over. After several attempts, officers were able to wake the male.

The male was assisted by officer in exiting the vehicle, but it was not in park. Deputies were able to get the vehicle stopped before more damage was done. The male then became combative. In order for officers to gain control, the man was “dry stunned” with a tazer.

He was discovered to be 22-year-old Jordan Graves. THP was requested to assist with the accident since a deputy’s vehicle had been struck during the incident. Graves was arrested and transported to the Union County Jail. He was charged with DUI 3rd Offense, Driving on Revoked, and Implied Consent. Other citations were also issued but were unknown at the time of press. Graves posted his $6,000.00 bond on Thursday March 2, 2017.

Ellis’ patrol car sustained minimal damage in the impact and is still drivable with no possible hazards or cosmetic issues. You may recall, Ellis was involved in another collision on January 14, 2017. That incident was caused when Ellis was rear ended by a juvenile driver. That accident totaled the patrol car Ellis was driving.

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