A South Carolina man travelling along Interstate 40 was arrested after drugs were found in his possession following a crash that occurred on Saturday, September 3.
Trooper Tommy Cooper of the Tennessee Highway Patrol was dispatched to mile marker 257 on the westbound lane of I-40 after a vehicle had reportedly crashed in the area.
According to Cooper’s report, the driver ran off the left side of the roadway, striking the barrier, and then ran off the right side of the road, striking a rock embankment.
The driver, identified as 26-year-old Russell Lott of Summerville, South Carolina, was the only person involved in the crash.
Prior to THP arriving on the scene, witnesses stated Lott threw a bag into the brush pile. Upon discovering the bag, Cooper observed it contained a leefy, green substance he describes “smelled like marijuana.” When he asked Lott why he threw out the marijuana, Lott stated “because it was in the vehicle,” according to the report.
Aside from the bag of marijuana, Lott also had a cylinder used to grind marijuana with a green, leefy substance on it, as well as a pack of rolling papers, according to Cooper’s report.
According to Cooper, Lott admitted to smoking marijuana. In addition to a smell of marijuana coming from his person, Cooper also observed that Lott’s eyes were red and dilated. Lott then performed the Standardized Field Sobriety Test, of which he performed unsatisfactory.
Lott was arrested and transported to the Smith County Jail Facility for booking.
He is charged with Driving Under the Influence (1st offense), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia with Intent to Use, Possession of Schedule VI, and Tampering with or Fabricating Evidence.
Russell Evans Lott
