Senator Ken Yager Fails Sobriety Test in Video After Alleged Hit-and-Run

A Republican Tennessee state senator has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) and being involved in a hit-and-run crash.

Ken Yager, chairman of the Tennessee Senate Republican Caucus, was arrested while on vacation in Jekyll Island, Georgia on Tuesday, according to preliminary details sent to Newsweek by the Georgia Department of Public Safety. Footage obtained by Tennessee news station WTVF shows the moment Yager took a field sobriety test conducted by Georgia State Patrol troopers.

In the video, Yager can be seen struggling to put one foot in front of the other to walk in a straight line and appears unsteady on his feet. Yager failed the test, which had to be cut short over safety concerns as he struggled to perform a one-leg stand, reported The Tennessean citing the full incident report from the Georgia Department of Public Safety.

Yager, 77, was booked into the Glynn County Detention Center charged with hit and run; duty of driver to stop or return to scene of accident, failure to stop at a stop sign and DUI less safe driver. He was released early on Wednesday after posting a $2,117 bond, reported the Tennessee Lookout.

“An unfortunate incident happened last night,” Yager said in a statement. “On the advice of my attorney, I cannot discuss the particulars at this time. I am and will continue to cooperate fully with authorities to bring this incident to an appropriate conclusion.”

Newsweek has contacted Yager’s office for comment via email.

Georgia State Troopers were notified about an apparent hit-and-run involving Ford Edge with Tennessee license plates at around 5 p.m. on Tuesday evening. Authorities later found the Ford Edge at a parking lot of a grocery store in Jekyll Market.

Emergency services were already at the scene evaluating Yager, who had tripped and fallen, said Georgia State Patrol.

Yager is alleged to have said he was involved in a crash having had a “couple glasses of wine previously in the day,” the incident reports states.

Troopers said they noticed Yager had “a distinct odor of alcohol on his breath.” He also appeared to have urinated on himself, reported The Tennessean citing the incident report. Footage of Yager taking part in the sobriety tests shows the state senator with what appears to be damp patches on his pants.

Yager told troopers that he believed everyone involved in the earlier crash was fine and spoke to the driver of the other vehicle. He said he left the scene not knowing that police were on the way.

Yager agreed to a Breathalyzer, which recorded his blood alcohol concentration level at 0.14, according to the incident report. The legal blood alcohol content limit is 0.08. The Republican refused to submit to a blood test.

Yager’s current term in the Tennessee Senate ends in November 2028. According to Tennessee Senate rules, Yager, who was driving with legislative plates, will either automatically lose the position of caucus chair or can request a hearing by the Committee on Ethics to determine whether he should be suspended from his position, reported Chris Davis of NewsChannel 5.