The principal at Milton High School in north Fulton resigned Wednesday, one day after being released from jail following DUI arrests in two counties.
Nathan John Buhl, 37, of Canton, is accused of causing two wrecks Saturday night in Forsyth and Cherokee counties, according to the sheriff’s offices in each county.
Shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday, Buhl allegedly left the scene after striking a parked car in northern Forsyth County, Deputy Robin Regan with the sheriff’s office said. But the owner of the damaged vehicle provided deputies with a tag number, which showed the car was registered to a Cherokee County owner, Regan said.
When Forsyth deputies called the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, a Cherokee investigator confirmed that agency was working a separate wreck involving the same car and individual, identified as Buhl, Regan said. Forsyth deputies were sent to a nearby hospital, where Buhl was being treated for injuries sustained in the Cherokee crash.
“After an investigation, we determined he was under the influence of alcohol,” Regan told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
After Buhl was released from the hospital early Sunday, he was arrested and charged with DUI, leaving the scene of a wreck, striking an unattended vehicle and failure to maintain a lane, Regan said. He was booked into the Forsyth County jail, where he was later released after posting $8,525 bond.
After being released from the Forsyth jail, Buhl surrendered at the Cherokee County jail, a spokeswoman for the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office said. In Cherokee, Buhl was charged with DUI, reckless driving, weaving and operating an unsafe vehicle. He was released Tuesday after posting $3,551 bond, the sheriff’s office said.
On Wednesday, Buhl resigned from his job and informed colleagues and parents in a written letter.
“I am humbled and ashamed, after making the worst decisions of my life Saturday night,” Buhl wrote in an email obtained by Channel 2 Action News.
The Fulton County Schools superintendent also released a statement regarding the arrests.
“I’m disappointed in the charges against Dr. Buhl, but believe he has done the right thing by stepping down as principal,” Superintendent Robert Avossa said in an emailed statement. “He is taking full responsibility for his actions and their consequences, and this sends the right message to the students and community we serve.”
In April, Buhl was named principal at Milton High School. He previously was principal of Crabapple Middle School, where he was named the 2013-2014 Principal of the Year by the North Fulton PTA Council. Prior to being hired by the Fulton district, Buhl held various positions for Cherokee, Pickens and Coweta county schools.
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