Young man arrested on drug charges after ‘texting’ car accident

On behalf of Dickman Law Offices, P.S.C. posted in Criminal Defense on Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Marijuana is a controlled substance that many advocates believe has a low risk for dependency. A young man found himself in trouble with the law in Kentucky recently, after causing a collision in the attempt to send a text message while driving. On top of that, police officers found marijuana in the vehicle, and he is now facing drug charges.

The 20-year-old was arrested after colliding with another vehicle when he failed to yield to a vehicle that had the right of way. The arresting officer allegedly witnessed the young man texting when the accident occurred. When officers approached his vehicle, they could reportedly smell marijuana.

The young man admitted to the officers that he had been texting at the time of the crash. Also, he told police that he was arranging to meet someone in order to sell the marijuana he had in his possession. He was found to be holding 8 grams of the drug, and was planning to sell $60 worth. The man also told officers that he had smoked marijuana earlier in the day, but “not recent.”

It was later determined that he had two outstanding warrants for his arrest in Kentucky. He was charged with marijuana trafficking, texting while driving and first-degree endangerment.

Despite more accepting attitudes toward marijuana, the law still says it is illegal. While simply being in possession of a drug can have lesser consequences, if police believe you were intending to sell drugs, you could be facing serious penalties.

In some cases, however, police are overly anxious to catch someone committing a drug crime. If a police search of your home or vehicle was not legally executed, any evidence found during that search could be inadmissible in court. In these situations, it is very important to understand your rights. Speaking to a lawyer before talking to police may be a good decision.

Source: WLKY, “Police: Man Driving To Drug Deal Causes Crash While Texting,” Jay Ditzer, 12 July 2011

Posted in: Car Accidents, Criminal Defense, Drug Charges