Sheriff’s officer fired after arrest for DWI, vehicle crashes
Published 10:51 am Monday, June 24, 2024
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By Mike Barnhardt
Enterprise Record
A Davie County Sheriff’s sergeant charged with DWI after two vehicle crashes earlier this month has been fired.
Hannah Whittington, a sergeant in the detective division, was suspended the night of the incident and was fired a week later after the sheriff’s policy review committee looked over the case compiled by the N.C. Highway Patrol.
Davie Sheriff J.D. Hartman said the office has a written policy that all deputies know about when they are hired. Whittington had no blemishes on her record until this incident, he said.
According to the NC Highway Patrol, Whittington was driving a vehicle on North Main Street in Mocksville the evening of June 11 when it crossed the center line and struck a pickup truck nearly head on. She left the scene, and struck another truck after going across the center line a second time on US 158.
Whittington registered a .33, more than four times the legal limit, on a Breathlyzer test. She was taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries. She was charged by the highway patrol with DWI, driving left of center, and hit and run.
Hartman said, per policy, she was suspended from her job that night pending review. That review started on Friday after the sheriff’s officer received a copy of the highway patrol report on Thursday afternoon. The results of that review were handed to Hartman the following Tuesday, when she was fired.
Arresting officers reported Whittington had trouble following instructions, slurred speech and red, glassy eyes.