A Fulton County man, 65-year-old Charles Earle of Horseshoe Bend, who fled the scene of a one-vehicle accident, was caught attempting to ingest an illegal drug while performing a field sobriety test.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the accident occurred on the morning of March 19th at approximately 3:40 on State Highway 289 South near Glencoe. The driver, later determined to be Earle, had fled the scene before an Arkansas State Police trooper arrived.
Izard County deputies located Earle at his residence and transported him back to the accident scene. He allegedly admitted to driving his vehicle earlier, but said he was not sure what happened.
The officer noted Earle’s speech to be extremely slurred, and he was swaying back and forth. The Horseshoe Bend man allegedly admitted to ingesting two hydrocodone pills earlier in the night.
The trooper performed a series of standard field sobriety tests, and determined Earle was under the influence of a controlled substance. As he was performing the tests, the trooper observed Earle place an object in his mouth and ordered him to remove it. The object was determined to be a Suboxone Sublingual Film, used for the treatment of opioid dependence. Earle was unable to produce a prescription for the drug.
At this point, Earle began complaining of chest pains and requested medical attention. He was transported by ambulance to the Fulton County Hospital.
As the trooper continued his investigation and the wrecker service rolled Earle’s vehicle over, a black case fell from it. The opened case contained a plastic baggie with a crystalline substance field testing positive for methamphetamine. The trooper also discovered a syringe in the case containing a cloudy substance.
Earle has been charged with felony counts of possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia, as well as misdemeanor counts of driving while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage.
His bond was set at $10,000.
A review of his criminal history indicates Earle has been convicted of more than four felony convictions.
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