Clayton County Commission Chairman Eldrin Bell was taken to the hospital after his car was rear-ended by a suspected drunk driver Thursday night, Capt. Tina Daniel said.
Raleigh Burton was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and following too closely, Daniel said.
Burton hit Bell's car near the area where Clayton police had set up a checkpoint to catch drunk drivers, Daniel said.
"This guy just had a bad night," she said.
Clayton police Thursday night started "Operation Scrooge," which includes DUI checkpoints and serving outstanding warrants, Daniel said. Officers made eight arrests and issued 15 citations within the first couple of hours, she said.
"It's to make sure we get anybody who could to ruin somebody else's holidays," she said.
Thursday night, that included Burton.
"This guy happened to pull out and run into Chairman Bell, and they ended up pulling him over, and he ended up being drunk," she said.
Bell was taken to a local hospital to be treated for minor injuries, she said.
This is the second time in a year that Bell has been hit in an automobile accident. Police charged a Chamblee woman with hitting Bell's car and then driving away as the cars were heading up I-85 in June.
Bell, driving in a county-assigned vehicle, pursued the car after it sideswiped him.
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