Police arrest 2 for underage drinking

Commerce police made two arrests for underage drinking last weekend, and charged one of the teens with driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol.

According to the arrest report, an officer spotted a vehicle traveling north on U.S. 441 at 3:19 a.m. Sunday with an inoperative taillight. As he observed the vehicle, it weaved a bit in its lane, so the officer made a traffic stop.

The driver, Brittany Nicole Arp. 18, of 7431 Hwy. 59, Lavonia, pulled the vehicle to a stop partly in the median of the divided highway and partly in the travel lane, the officer said.

The officer immediately noticed the smell of alcohol and observed the driver’s slurred speech, glassy eyes and slow movements, he reported.
When he asked her how much she’d had to drink, the officer said Arp turned her head slightly and replied, “umm, one.”

The passenger, Cortney Dawn Arp, 19, of the same address, when asked the same question, responded “a few.”

A roadside test indicated positive for alcohol, and back at the police station, the reading on Brittany Arp came back at .026.

She was charged with DUI, the taillight violation and underage consumption of alcohol, while Cortney Arp was charged with underage consumption of alcohol.