Kennesaw councilman, Robert “Trey” Sinclair, charged with DUI, hit and run

Kennesaw City Council member, Robert “Trey” Sinclair, was arrested and charged with DUI and hit and run after a June 28 car wreck. According to a Cobb County Police report, Sinclair, 34, was arrested after he rear-ended another car and left the scene,  

Sinclair was elected to the City Council in 2021 and represents Post 5. He also owns a Kennesaw brewery, Dry County Brewing. 

According to the police report, the incident occurred near the intersection of Cobb Parkway near its intersection with EMC Parkway and involved two other drivers. The two told police that a white Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by a white male rear-ended a vehicle which was stopped in traffic, which in turn hit the rear of the vehicle in front of it. 

One driver took a picture of the trucks’ license plate, while the other wrote it down before the driver of the truck left the scene. Police quickly determined that the truck was registered to Sinclair, and the address associated with the registration was that of the Dry County Brewing. 

The officer went to the brewery to investigate and Sinclair arrived in his truck. In his report, the officer said he asked Sinclair to step out of the truck and that he stumbled as he exited. The officer wrote, “I then observed him hold on to the top of the bed of his truck for support as he appeared unable to stand under his own power.” The officer also said he observed that the truck had fresh paint transfer and damage to the bumper.

Sinclair admitted to the police that he had been involved in the wreck, that he did not call 911, and that he left after a lengthy wait for police to arrive. He declined to provide a breath sample but did perform field sobriety tests, where the officer noticed on Sinclair’s breath “the strong smell of an alcoholic beverage.”

The officer took Sinclair into custody for both leaving the scene of the accident and for suspected DUI. Following his arrest, police again asked Sinclair to submit to a breath test. He instead suggested that he be allowed to provide a blood sample. A Cobb police precinct nurse took two blood samples from Sinclair, which were sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for analysis.

Sinclair was booked into the Cobb County jail on three misdemeanor charges — DUI, hit and run and following too closely, according to jail records. He was released from the jail the next morning on a $2,300 bond. Sinclair’s arraignment on these charges is scheduled for Nov. 16.

DUI charges are serious offenses that can have significant legal penalties and personal consequences, which may include fines, license suspension, mandatory alcohol education programs, probation, or even jail time. Any impact on Sinclair’s council role will depend on local laws and council rules, as well as the perception of his constituents.