Tammy Moore Battle appeals Urbana vehicle impound after Feb. 28 traffic stop

Tammy Moore Battle, the registered owner of a vehicle impounded on Feb. 28, 2026, told an Urbana administrative hearing officer that she had taken steps to reinstate her driver’s license and was improperly stopped, searched and towed. Detective Christian Wade, the primary officer on the scene, said he ran Battle’s plate, saw a license suspension in the state system, smelled alcohol and observed signs that prompted field sobriety testing and an arrest; officers then impounded the vehicle.

The dispute centers on whether officers had grounds to impound the car and whether Battle was given a fair opportunity to produce proof of valid insurance or license. Battle is seeking reimbursement of towing fees she said she paid to recover the vehicle; the file includes a receipt the hearing officer described as for about $260.

Battle said she pulled into her driveway at 405 South Glenn when an officer activated lights and briefly used a siren, then approached and told her her license was suspended. "I was in full compliance with the law at the time," she told the hearing officer, saying she tried to show documentation on her phone and that she could not safely complete a walk-and-turn test because of gravel at the scene and previous ankle injuries. She said her 11-year-old son was in the car and that officers opened garbage bags in the vehicle and removed empty bottles they later cited as evidence of an open container.

Detective Christian Wade said he ran the plate on a mobile data terminal tied to the Secretary of State system and the return indicated a suspension for the registered owner. He said he asked for insurance and license information, smelled alcohol on Battle’s breath, and was informed by Sergeant Sprag that an open container had been observed. Wade said he explained and performed the horizontal gaze nystagmus test and "I saw all six signs of impairment for HGN," and that after Battle did not complete the walk-and-turn test despite alternatives he offered, she was placed under arrest and later refused a breath test at the station.

Battle disputed parts of Wade’s account, saying the bottles were in garbage bags and not plainly on the passenger seat, that she had consumed "two shots" earlier but was not incapacitated, and that officers delayed breath testing until after she was processed. She said she asked her husband to bring a pair of shoes to permit the field test but was not given that opportunity.

The hearing officer repeatedly emphasized the administrative nature of the proceeding and that a written decision would be provided in the mail. The officer noted the ordinance authorizes receipt of incident reports, citations and live testimony; he said he will consider the evidence and issue a written ruling, usually within a few days.

The appeal record includes Battle’s written request (filed March 4, 2026), the incident reports and citations referenced by officers, and what the hearing officer said appears to be a towing receipt. The hearing did not produce an immediate ruling; the officer said a written decision will be mailed to Battle and that further steps would depend on that determination.

Summary of next steps: the hearing officer will review the record and issue a written decision by mail; Battle will receive that notice and may pursue any further remedies available under the ordinance and municipal procedures.