SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT
The report of a wrecked delivery truck stuck on railroad tracks resulted in drug charges for the driver.
Willie Earl Sanders, 31, was arrested Sept. 2 and charged with possession of cocaine, possession of methamphetamine, abandonment of dangerous drugs, criminal trespass and failure to stop at stop sign.
The arrest was announced on Facebook by Sheriff Butch Reece. The sheriff said JCSO Deputy Matthew Dennis responded to a delivery truck in the ditch at the intersection of Highway 11 and Greene Settlement Road, blocking the train tracks.
He said while Dennis was working the wreck, he found a syringe on the ground and then a book bag nearby containing methamphetamine and more syringes.
Based on the evidence and witness statements, Dennis arrested and charged Sanders with possession of methamphetamine and other traffic violations. “Thank you to Deputy Dennis for going the extra step and getting the intersection clear,” the sheriff said. Dennis’ report of the incident states he was dispatched to the intersection of Greene Settlement Road and Georgia Highway 11 Sept. 2, at 6:25 a.m., in reference to the truck wrecked and stuck on the tracks. The deputy said he made contact with Sanders, the driver of the truck, who stated he wrecked the truck because he did not stop for the stop sign.
He said he let Sanders sit in the rear seat of his patrol car, with the door open, to stay dry.
The deputy said he was standing on the tracks, while working the wreck scene, and observed a white and orange syringe floating in a mud puddle in front of the vehicle.
Not far from the puddle, he located a blue and gray backpack in the bushes in front of the track. Dennis said he checked for any signs of previous footprints in the area, but it appeared the bag had been placed there recently.
The deputy said he questioned Sanders about the bag, but he said he knew nothing about it. Dennis said a check of the bag revealed numerous packs of baseball cards, a spoon, gummy snacks, and a game case. Inside the case, he found a plastic bag with a crystal substance and another with a white powdery substance.
A syringe and meth pipe were also inside the case. After finding the items in the bag, the officer said he placed Sanders under arrest. Dennis said a field test of the white powder indicated a positive test for cocaine.
