A May 6, 2025, incident that started out as a simple traffic stop on a four-wheeler allegedly being driven illegally on North Peterson Avenue quickly turned into a theft investigation.
A report from the Douglas Police Department states that three police officers saw a white Polaris Sportsman four-wheeler being driven on North Peterson Avenue near the OYO Motel just after 10 p.m. on May 6. The officer who stopped the four-wheeler told the subject, identified as Matthew Rowe, 40, of Douglas, that he had been stopped because four-wheelers were not allowed on state highways. During the stop, the officer learned that Rowe’s driver’s license had been suspended for multiple reasons, according to the report. Also during the stop, a report came in saying that a four-wheeler had just been reported stolen from a cargo trailer plant on Johnson Street, just off North Gaskin Avenue.
It didn’t take long to figure out that the stolen four-wheeler was the one Rowe had been operating. During the incident, the report says that Rowe said he had swallowed an eight-ball. Rowe was taken to Coffee Regional Medical Center to be evaluated. After he was released from the hospital, Rowe was booked into the Coffee County Jail on the following charges: Burglary in the 2nd degree, theft by taking, driving with a suspended license, operating a low speed vehicle on the highway, one-way roadways and rotary traffic islands, and a headlight violation.
The four-wheeler was returned to its rightful owner.