TOWNS COUNTY, Ga. — A Towns County sheriff’s deputy was taken to the hospital after stopping a car that authorities suspect was being used as a mobile methamphetamine lab.
According to the Towns County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Jeremy Stanley was assisting with a funeral escort around 2:39 p.m. Sept. 15. He saw a Chevrolet Malibu allegedly fail to yield to the emergency vehicles leading the procession.
Stanley stopped the car on U.S. Highway 76, just west of State Route 75 South. During the stop, he developed probable cause to believe the driver was under the influence of drugs, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies then found materials inside the car believed to be connected to a mobile, or “rolling,” methamphetamine lab.
“Recognizing the potential danger, deputies immediately requested additional assistance,” the sheriff’s office said. “Traffic was stopped, and the area was secured under state safety protocols because of the potential presence of hazardous and volatile chemicals.”
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Clandestine Lab Unit responded to secure the scene and process the car.
The driver was taken to Chatuge Regional Hospital for evaluation. Stanley also went to the hospital after experiencing possible symptoms of chemical exposure.
Both were later released. The driver was then taken into custody on preliminary charges of driving under the influence of drugs and possession of methamphetamine.
“Had it not been for Deputy Stanley’s actions, people could have been seriously injured,” Towns County Sheriff Anthony Coleman said. “This individual was taken into custody before that could happen.”
The investigation remains active, and additional charges may be filed. Authorities did not release the driver’s name.
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