On April 5, 2026, at approximately 1:42 AM, Deputy Logan Janow of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the intersection of Potato Farm Road and Old Baldwin Road in Crossville, for a report of a red Mazda SUV sitting in the middle of the roadway with the driver passed out and unresponsive. Upon arrival at 1:46 AM, the deputy found the 2014 red Mazda CX-5 with its ignition still on and the driver, 28-year-old Malachi Michael Banegas of Crossville, slumped over, drooling, and unresponsive. After several attempts to wake him—including knocking on the window and tapping him—Banegas eventually opened his eyes but was lethargic, uncoordinated, and had slurred, unintelligible speech. A strong odor of alcohol was present on his breath and inside the vehicle, and his eyes were bloodshot and watery.

Banegas had difficulty standing and maintaining balance. Emergency Medical Services arrived, but he refused transport to the hospital. He admitted to consuming “a lot” of beer earlier that night at a friend’s house. Inside the vehicle, officers observed dozens of opened Truly brand alcoholic beverage cans (with one still containing liquid in the cup holder) and small one-ounce liquor shot bottles, one of which was open and empty on the driver’s seat.

The deputy conducted standardized field sobriety tests: Banegas showed significant impairment on the horizontal gaze nystagmus test (lack of smooth pursuit and distinct nystagmus in both eyes), and he was unable to safely complete the walk-and-turn or one-leg-stand tests due to poor balance and coordination. Due to the totality of circumstances, Banegas was placed under arrest at approximately 2:05–2:08 AM for Driving Under the Influence (DUI).

The vehicle showed visible damage to the front and passenger side, indicating it had struck an object, though Banegas did not appear to recognize this. It was towed by Scarlett’s Towing. Banegas was transported to the jail, where a blood search warrant was obtained. Two vials of whole blood were drawn at Cumberland Medical Center around 3:40 AM as evidence and placed in a TBI toxicology kit.

He was served with a DUI warrant, and his bond was set at $1,500 with a court date of May 11, 2026, at 8:30 AM.