UNION COUNTY, N.C. — Two brothers were arrested in Union County on Thursday night after separate incidents involving impaired driving, with one brother driving the same vehicle after being advised by deputies not to. Rodolfo Garcia was initially stopped for traffic violations and suspicion of impairment, leading to his arrest, the sheriff’s office said. Shortly after, deputies arrested his brother, Rene Sanchez, who was found driving the same car while also impaired.
Union County deputies first saw Garcia run a red light and have difficulty maintaining his lane, prompting an initial traffic stop. Deputies determined Garcia was impaired and took him into custody. He said his brother, Sanchez, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was explicitly instructed by deputies not to drive and to arrange for alternative transportation, the sheriff said.
Garcia was taken into custody and transported to the Detention Center. He was charged with failure to stop for a steady red light, failure to maintain lane control, no operator’s license and driving while impaired.
Shortly after clearing the initial traffic stop, deputies observed the same vehicle back on the roadway, failing to maintain lane control. A second stop was conducted and deputies found Sanchez behind the wheel. Sanchez was also found to be under the influence of an impairing substance. He was arrested and transported to the Detention Center.
Sanchez was charged with failure to maintain lane control, driving while license revoked (impaired revocation) and driving while impaired.
The sheriff’s office highlighted the situation, stating, “Ignoring good advice can quickly turn one arrest into two.”
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