Benjamin Lineberger
LINCOLN COUNTY, N.C. — A Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputy charged a man accused of driving the wrong way on Highway 16 early Sunday morning.
Deputy James Little responded to the area of Highway 16 and St. James Church Road around 1:30 a.m. after receiving a call from the Lincoln County Communications Center about a reckless driver.
The deputy was advised that the driver was traveling south in the northbound lanes between Highway 150 and Highway 73.
Little was in the median of the northbound lane when he was told the vehicle was still traveling south in the wrong lane. The officer pulled into traffic and saw the oncoming vehicle. The car almost hit the patrol car as it passed by and Little turned on the vehicle and activated his emergency lights and siren, according to a news release from Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
The driver traveled another half mile before finally being stopped just south of the St. James Church Road intersection.
The officer asked the driver to get out of the vehicle and noticed the smell of alcohol. The vehicle appeared to have been involved in an accident because it had heavy front-end damage, a bent steering wheel and the driver was bleeding from his mouth and nose, according to a news release from Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies checked with area counties but did not find a traffic accident involving the vehicle. The driver originally gave officers a fictitious name, but later gave a correct name, according to a news release from Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.
Benjamin Michael Lineberger, 22, of Denver, was charged with one misdemeanor count each of driving while impaired, driving while license revoked, false information to a police officer, failure to stop for a blue light or siren, careless and reckless driving, wrong way on a dual lane highway and expired registration.
He was placed in the Harven A. Crouse Detention Center under a $3,000 secured bond.
