A beer run in an allegedly “borrowed” vehicle turned into an accident and several charges, including leaving the scene of an accident, for a 43-year-old Douglas man on August 17, 2026.
According to an incident report from the Douglas Police Department officers responded to two different calls around 5:45 p.m. on the above date that turned out to be related. One officer went to a West Jefferson Street address in reference to a stolen vehicle call while another officer went to the intersection of Farrar Lane and McCrary Lane where a Dodge Dakota pickup had hit a tree. The driver of the Dakota was not on the scene when the officer arrived.
It didn’t take long for officers to figure out that the missing vehicle was the same one that had been involved in the accident. The officer who responded to the stolen vehicle report brought the complainant to the scene of the accident, who confirmed that the truck belonged to her son. He worked at night and had been home asleep all day, a report describing the incident stated.
As the investigation continued, officers determined that the likely culprit was Leroy Allen Francis Welch, 43, of Douglas, who was in a relationship with the complainant. The accident occurred near a store where Welch typically frequents to buy beer and there was an open beer in the pickup, according to the report. The officers returned to the West Jefferson Street address and found Welch there, obviously intoxicated, the report states.
According to the report, Welch also had injuries to his face, including a bloody nose, consistent with being in an auto accident. When approached by officers, the report says that Welch turned around and put his hands behind his back and refused to talk to the officers.
Welch was charged with failure to maintain lane, possession of an open container in a vehicle, and leaving the scene of an accident. He was booked into the Coffee County Jail and later released.
