Cops: Woman was DUI when she ran off Ga. 400 into Lake Lanier

The woman who drove her SUV off Ga. 400 and into Lake Lanier was under the influence of drugs, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said Friday afternoon.

Samantha Silverman, 33, of Cumming, was being treated at the hospital after being pulled from the lake. From there, she will be taken to the Forsyth County jail on charges of DUI-drugs, suspended driver’s license, reckless driving and failure to maintain lane, Deputy Doug Rainwater said.

Silverman also is still facing charges of possession of meth and DUI stemming from a Christmas Day arrest, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The latest incident happened late Friday morning on Ga. 400 northbound between the exits for Bald Ridge and Pilgrim Mill roads, which is at a bridge that crosses a narrow portion of the lake, according to investigators.

Silverman was taken by ambulance to Northeast Georgia Medical Center for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. Her dog, whose name was not released, was also rescued and taken to a vet for treatment, but should survive, according to deputies.

The Georgia Department of Transportation website reported traffic jammed in both directions on Ga. 400 north of Cumming following the crash. Northbound lanes in the area reopened around 1:30 p.m.