A Rockmart-area man was booked into custody and later released after he was charged for a weekend crash after he ended up in the woods in his vehicle near his home, according to Polk County Police.

Officers responded on Saturday morning, June 15, 2024 to the intersection of Wheeler Ford Road at Highway 278 when a call came in over a wreck near the intersection. Per the report, when officers arrived they found Nicholas Bennis Nettles, 30, behind the wheel inside of a Chevrolet Tahoe with the vehicle in the woods in a ditch and pinned against a tree on the other side.

Reports stated that Nettles only told police he was coming home from work and that he had been drinking prior to the wreck, and got him out of the vehicle so he could be checked out by AdventHealth Redmond EMS personnel. Police noted that Nettles had difficulty standing throughout his time of getting out of the vehicle and back to flat ground.

Reports stated that once he was checked out by EMS, officers attempted to get Nettles to take part in field sobriety tests or a breathalyzer, but he refused. Police determined he was unsafe to drive and should be charged.

“Nicholas stated that he was not under arrest, but was quickly placed in a standard pair of handcuffs that were checked for fit and double locked before any further incident occurred,” the report stated.

He was taken to the Polk County Jail and charged with driving under the influence and failure to maintain lane, both misdemeanors.

Nettles was later released on a $2,362 bond.