Tennessee State Senator Ken Yager (R-Kingston) was arrested and charged in Georgia on Tuesday for allegedly leaving the scene of an accident, failing to stop at a stop sign, and driving under the influence of alcohol.
Yager, who is 77-years old, was reportedly on vacation in Jekyll Island at the time of the incident.
Information received by local media from Georgia law enforcement reports that Georgia State Troopers were notified to be on the lookout for a Ford Edge with Tennessee license plates that was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run incident in Glynn County.
State law enforcement reportedly located Yager’s vehicle, which matched the description of the Edge, in a parking lot where emergency medical services were on scene evaluating Yager, who had reportedly tripped and fallen.
Georgia authorities further said troopers detected a “distinct odor of alcohol” on Yager’s breath and that the Tennessee state senator “admitted to being involved in a crash earlier but did not know law enforcement was en route.”
A video of Yager’s interaction with law enforcement obtained by WTVF showed the state senator unsteady during the field sobriety tests conducted to determine if Yager was under the influence.
Yager was arrested and booked into the Glynn County Detention Center, where he posted a $2,117.70 bond and was released on Wednesday.
The Tennessee state senator acknowledged the incident in a statement, however, maintained that his attorney advised him to not “discuss the particulars at this time.”
Yager was reelected to serve District 12 in the Tennessee State Senate last month and also reelected by his colleagues to serve as Chairman of the Senate Republican Caucus.
If indicted, Yager must either resign from his leadership position within the caucus or appeal to the Ethics Committee within 10 days of his indictment for a hearing to determine whether he may retain his chairman position through the course of his indictment, according to rules adopted by the Tennessee State Senate.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
first issue an apology statement – then:
resign from the Tennessee State Senate – immediately Yager