A former Tennessee Tech student and spirit squad member was arrested earlier this month on a DUI charge, according to police.
Officer Kyle Farley was on patrol around 2:30 a.m. Oct. 16 when he noticed a white Toyota Prius driving fast and recklessly on East Spring Street. According to the police report, Farley saw the vehicle, driven by Nicholas Gernt, slide onto South Maple Avenue in the wrong lane after locking its brakes. Farley made the traffic stop at the intersection of South Maple Avenue and Douglas Street.
According to the report, Gernt was crying and hyperactive when Farley attempted to speak with him.
“I asked Mr. Gernt if he was okay and he told me he didn’t want to talk about it,” Farley wrote in the report. “I asked for his proof of insurance and he continuously gave me the wrong documents.”
When Gernt was asked to perform a field sobriety test, he initially said yes but then told Farley he would fail the test. Gernt said he had a problem with a toenail on his right foot, so he took off his shoes to do the sobriety test, according to the police report.
After failing one test, Gernt refused to do anymore. According to the police report, he told Farley he would just fail any test that was given to him. Farley then arrested Gernt for DUI 1st offense. Gernt was also issued citations for failure to drive within lane and reckless driving.
