Many drug arrests begin with a traffic stop. It’s less common for the person who’s stopped to be behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer. However, that’s what happened to a Maryland man back in May.
The 48-year-old man, who is from Centreville, was stopped after the Queen Anne’s County Sheriff reportedly saw him repeatedly cross some rumble strips on Route 301 in the vicinity of Rolling Bridge Road. The sheriff says that the driver nearly forced several other vehicles off the road.
The sheriff reported that he had to chase down the tractor-trailer driver and call for back-up from the sheriff’s office as well as the Maryland State Police (MSP) before the man stopped some seven miles after he was first directed to pull over.
Authorities say that when they pulled the driver over, he admitted that he had been using drugs while he was driving. They searched the tractor-trailer and found an empty prescription oxycodone bottle along with a plastic bag that contained a powdered substance. The driver reportedly told officers that the substance was oxycodone. They also say they found multiple straws.
Initially, police only gave the man traffic citations. However, they sent the substance to the MSP Crime Lab for testing. The lab later reported that the powdered substance was fentanyl and heroin. The driver has now been charged with possession of a controlled (non-marijuana) dangerous substance and drug paraphernalia.
Drug charges alone can have serious consequences. When combined with charges of driving under the influence of those substances, a person could be looking at jail time, fines and more.
Even if you’ve confessed to a crime and you believe the evidence against you is irrefutable, you shouldn’t face the justice system alone. An experienced attorney can work to mitigate the consequences and perhaps seek a drug diversion program as a more effective solution than spending time behind bars.
