Police: Santa Rosa man suspected of DUI tried to evade officer by ducking

A Santa Rosa driver who caught the attention of a passing CHP officer when he ducked from sight turned out to be intoxicated, with open alcohol containers in his car, the CHP said Tuesday.

The driver, Chris Hamner Jr., 46, also was wanted by the law for violating his probation on a prior conviction for driving drunk with a child in his car, CHP Officer Jon Sloat said in a news release.

Hamner and the officer crossed paths Monday at about 9:30 p.m. on Highway 116 near Guerneville Road. The officer said a driver in a white GMC SUV stopped at the intersection had ducked down and tried to hide his face from the officer.

Suspicions aroused, the officer followed the man as he pulled into a nearby store and entered the business. The officer ran his license plate, found irregularities with the registration tags and when the man came outside the officer contacted him. Hamner declined to discuss the tags, Sloat said.

The man, who told officers he was on his way to pick up his son from sports practice, appeared to be intoxicated, failed sobriety tests and was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving. Officers found an open, empty beer can and an open partially empty can.

Hamner also was taken into custody on the arrest warrant and for violating his probation. He also was arrested on suspicion of driving with a suspended license due to a prior DUI conviction, not having insurance, having an open container of alcohol in the car and the registration violation, Sloat said.