Man Charged With DUI After Hitting 2 Sandy Springs Police Cars

SANDY SPRINGS, GA -- Two Sandy Springs police officers are lucky to be alive after the driver of a passenger vehicle plowed into their patrol cars while they were investigating a traffic accident on Interstate 285.

Both officers had their respective Sandy Springs Police Department patrol vehicles parked -- with their blue emergency lights flashing -- on the westbound side of I-285 at the exit ramp to Peachtree Dunwoody Road while they worked the crash.

At around 12:19 a.m. Dec. 4, a black Lexus passenger vehicle traveling in the same direction collided with both police vehicles, a 2011 Ford Crown Victoria and a 2012 Chevrolet Caprice, according to an incident report released by the agency.

The Crown Victoria received moderate damage to its driver side while slight damage was noted on the rear end of the Chevrolet.

The driver of the Lexus, identified as 38-year-old Ankur Rajendra Desai, was detained at the scene. Desai was asked to exit the vehicle and "staggered while he walked, and he constantly kept falling" on me, the officer wrote in his report.

Desai was asked to recount what happened and the Smyrna resident, who said he "is a creature of habit," told police he was driving from a friend's residence in Buckhead to his parents' home in the Cobb County city, the report states.

Desai allegedly told police he consumed five to eight drinks and "stated that he drank more than he should have," according to the report.

A series of field sobriety tests were performed on Desai and the motorist also submitted to a breathalyzer. That test, according to the report, showed Desai allegedly had a blood alcohol level of .180, more than twice the legal limit.

Desai was arrested and charged with DUI less safe, reckless driving and failure to move over. He was booked into the city of Alpharetta's jail and was given a court date of Jan. 25, 2017.

Images via Sandy Springs police