Missouri National Guardsmen detain driver under influence

Spc. Seth Sandau, 1-129th Field Artillery Regiment, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, and Spc. Bobby Smith, 1-129th Field Artillery Regiment, Battery B, detained a person driving under the influence July 13 while patrolling a check point at 200th Street and Outer Road in rural Atchison County. (Photo by Spc. Jorge Navarro)

By Spc. Jacqueline Courtney
Ngmo.pao@US.ARMY.MIL

ATCHISON COUNTY, Mo. - July 13 was just another night on patrol at check point five for two Missouri Army National Guardsmen until they were approached by a vehicle.

The vehicle approached their check point, swerved around their orange cones, and then approached their Humvee at a higher than normal speed. It stopped just short of striking one of the Guardsmen standing adjacent to the Humvee. When the driver was asked what he was doing, he said several times he was "checking the area."

After stopping the driver and speaking with him Spc. Seth Sandau, 1-129th Field Artillery Regiment, Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, and Spc. Bobby Smith, 1-129th Field Artillery Regiment, Battery B, said they were immediately able to tell that something just wasn't right.

Smith and Sandau kept the driver talking for several minutes while attempting to contact the shift supervisor to send a deputy. During this time, the pair said the driver exited the vehicle twice and got back in after stumbling and falling over.

"Our number one concern is always safety," said Sandau. "We were just doing our job."

Deputy Jason Lawrence, a deputy with the Atchison County Sheriff's Office, elaborated on the Guardsmen's role in the arrest.

"If it had not been for their assistance in noticing the civilian's impairment and assisting with prosecution of the suspect, an arrest could not have been possible with the Atchison County Sheriff's Office," said Lawrence. "Spc. Sandau and Spc. Smith followed protocol and detained the civilian awaiting my arrival."

Once on the scene, Lawrence also suspected intoxication. After an attempt to locate someone to drive the man home failed, the deputy detained him for driving under the influence.

Sandau and Smith had been assigned to help local law enforcement by monitoring traffic through the area and to keep an eye out for any sort of criminal activity.

Both soldiers are currently conducting missions on State Emergency Duty in Atchison County.

For more information about the Missouri National Guard, please call 1-800-GoGuard or visit www.moguard.com.