Cop Finds Winder Man Sleeping on Side of Road

A Winder man ended up in the Gwinnett County Jail after falling asleep on the shoulder of Winder Highway near Cedars Road.

A Gwinnett police officer officer discovered the man, later identified as Hayes Hoyt, 57, of Winder, lying next to the roadway shortly before 2 p.m. Feb. 4. The officer twice asked Hoyt if he were okay and did not receive a response. The officer began to shake Hoyt’s shoulder and was eventually able to rouse him.

After Hoyt came to, he asked the officer where he was. The officer told him and Hoyt allegedly replied, “How the hell did I get here?”

When the officer asked Hoyt who he was and where he was from, Hoyt said the officer should know him. The officer informed Hoyt they had not previously met and asked for Hoyt’s identification. Hoyt stood up in an effort to retrieve his identification from his back pocket, but had difficulty standing. When the officer asked if Hoyt had been drinking, Hoyt reportedly replied, “24/7.”

Due to Hoyt’s slurred speech, difficulty standing and the strong odor of alcohol on Hoyt’s person, the officer decided to place Hoyt under arrest for public intoxication. According to the police report, Hoyt began to curse loudly once he was placed in handcuffs saying, “[Expletive deleted] you [expletive deleted] police!” Hoyt also reportedly accused the officer of belonging to the Ku Klux Klan.

Hoyt was transported to the Gwinnett County Jail. He was released two days later on a $135 bond.