An admittedly “very drunk” police dispatcher in Georgia is out of a job after she crashed into two cars while driving under the influence, police said.
Laura Ricketts, who worked as a dispatcher for the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, was arrested at about 2:30 a.m. Saturday after running a red light and hitting two other cars at an intersection in Athens, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
“I had a lot to drink … I’m very drunk,” Ricketts told a responding officer after initially claiming she was not driving the car despite being the only person inside the vehicle.
Ricketts, who declined to take a field sobriety test, then admitted to driving the car and acknowledged being the only person inside. Ricketts said she wasn’t exactly sure how the crash happened.
“I have no idea,” Ricketts said.
Ricketts, who started working as a dispatcher for the county in October 2016, was arrested on DUI charges and later booked at the Athens-Clarke County jail. She was then fired Monday, police said.
“It’s disappointing that she was involved in this incident and it’s unfortunate for her,” Athens-Clarke County police Capt. Keith Kelley told FOX 5. “If you’re drinking, just call someone … whether that be a taxi, an Uber or a friend, just call.”
The police department holds its employees to “high ethical standards just like any other person,” Kelley said.