Man arrested for DUI after tow truck denies service without a police report

Jon Johnson File Photo/Gila Herald: Tanner Kimbrough was arrested for DUI after calling the authorities on himself.

By Jon Johnson

jonjohnsonnews@gmail.com

GRAHAM COUNTY – A tow truck driver refused to assist a stranded driver until police intervention occurred due to the nature of the request. The driver, identified as Tanner Kimbrough, then called the police on himself and was subsequently arrested on suspicion of DUI. 

The incident occurred Wednesday, April 15, when Kimbrough ran his Saturn sedan off the south side of the intersection of U.S. Highway 70 and Montiereth Lane and into a canal. Kimbrough was not injured and the Saturn wasn’t badly damaged, but it was stuck in the canal. 

Kimbrough then called Nuttall’s Towing out of Safford to tow him out of the canal. Since the vehicle had run off the road, the tow truck company requested Kimbrough call the authorities prior to the tow being provided. 

Kimbrough then called the Graham County Sheriff’s Office at about 9:04 p.m. and deputies and an Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper arrived at the scene. 

Kimbrough advised that he was crossing the highway southbound and was trying to find his cellphone when he accidentally drove off the road and into the canal. Upon contact, a deputy noticed various clues that Kimbrough was possibly impaired by the use of drugs while Kimbrough insisted he hadn’t ingested any illicit drugs or alcohol recently. 

After more clues were shown during a field sobriety test, Kimbrough was arrested for DUI and his car was transported by Nuttall’s Towing to its yard. 

After refusing consent for a blood test, a warrant was applied for and granted. The deputy served to Kimbrough and his blood was taken for DUI testing purposes. Kimbrough was then released with charges pending lab test results and review by prosecutors.