Possumblog

Mr. Foxworthy, you have a call on line one.

Seems you might have yet another to add to your list: Float driver in Anderson Christmas parade charged with DUI

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

COLUMBIA, S.C. - A man driving a float in the Anderson Christmas parade has been charged with drunk driving after he passed another float then sped down Main Street, police say.

When officers caught up to 42-year-old David Allen Rodgers, he had an open container of alcohol in the truck he used to haul the children and adults on the float for the Steppin' Out Dance Studio, Anderson Police spokeswoman Linda Dudley said.

Surely someone had some idea that David Allen might decide to dip into the Christmas cheer a little early. Then again, maybe that's part of his charm.

Witnesses said Rodgers was driving in line in Sunday's parade when he pulled out to pass a tractor in the float.

Well, in fairness, there wasn't nothing coming the other way, and the tractor was moving awful slow.

Rodgers sped down Main Street and ran a red light, while a witness on the float called 911 on a cell phone, police said.

Officers started chasing Rodgers, who didn't stop for three miles.

Well, in fairness, he probably couldn't see the blue lights or hear the sireens, what with trying to grab that forty that rolled under the seat and all. And three miles isn't all that far if you're going fast enough.

Once he pulled over, he tried to attack an officer, Dudley said.

Now that probably wasn't a good idea.

Rodgers, whose child was on the float, faces more than three dozen charges, including DUI, 18 counts of kidnapping and assaulting an officer, authorities said.

Now having your kid on there? That probably wasn't a good idea, neither.

A woman who answered the phone at Rodgers' home would not talk to a reporter and a message left at the dance studio was not returned Monday.

Rodgers will have a bond hearing on the kidnapping charge Tuesday. He has a prior traffic offense, but Anderson Police officials could not elaborate on the charge.

Prior offense, eh?

Color me shocked.

ANYway, "You might be a redneck if you drove your child's dance studio float in the Christmas parade while you was all lit up like a Christmas tree yourself with a nose glowing like ol' Rudolph's, and you decided the tractor in front of you was too slow and so you took off down Main Street with a bunch of screaming kids and ran a bunch of red lights and had to be chased for three miles by the police and after getting stopped you decided to whup up on the cops before getting arrested."

Operative word, as always, might. Because, you know, stuff like this happens everywhere.

And for your enjoyment, Steppin' Out Dance Studio, and photos of the 2005 Anderson Christmas Parade.

Posted by Terry Oglesby at December 5, 2006 11:33 AM