Deputy has bizarre encounter on I-20

Morgan County deputy Timothy Ryan Saye was dispatched to the area of milepost 104 in I-20 on April 26 regarding a disabled vehicle in the roadway and encountered an unstable woman who had a two-year-old child with her.

According to reports, the deputy requested a Coordinated Highway Assistance & Maintenance Program (CHAMP) assist and a wrecker be sent to the scene.

When Saye arrived, the woman exited a Jeep parked in the right lane and started removing items from the vehicle. Saye told the woman she should get back into her vehicle to avoid being hit by a passing car and told her he would push the Jeep off the roadway. 

At first, she refused, saying she needed to change the child’s diaper.

She eventually relented, but when Saye began to push the Jeep, the woman wouldn’t turn the wheel to steer the Jeep off the interstate. When Saye returned to his patrol unit, the woman exited the Jeep again and started walking west in the emergency lane with the child.

When the wrecker arrived, the woman returned, climbed in the wrecker on the driver’s side with the child, and started to drive the wrecker away.

Saye had to stop her at gunpoint after she drove approximately 10 feet, according to the report. The woman was handcuffed and placed under arrest.

When questioned about her erratic behavior, the woman, in a moment of vulnerability, shared that she was simply exhausted. 

Recognizing the need for medical attention, Deputy Saye ensured her safety by placing her in his patrol car, while the wrecker driver checked on the child as requested.

The woman’s aunt came and picked up the child. The wrecker company declined to press charges, and the aunt said she would take the woman to a doctor for an evaluation.