A local man who reportedly fled the scene of a wreck Monday afternoon even though the other driver was at fault was arrested a short time later on felony drug charges and warrants.
Joseph Aaron Morrison, 30, who lists a Bayles Street address, was taken into custody around 3:30 p.m. and charged with possession of meth with purpose to deliver and possession of a controlled substance, mushrooms, with purpose to deliver, each punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and possession of drug paraphernalia, punishable by up to six years.
Morrison, who also had warrants for theft of property under $1,000 and failure to appear, was also charged with a misdemeanor count of obstructing government operations. He remained in custody Tuesday in lieu of bonds totaling $15,500 and is set to appear today in Garland County District Court.
According to the probable cause affidavit, around 3 p.m. Monday, Hot Springs police responded to the area of Albert Pike Road and North Mission Street to a two-vehicle wreck and made contact with the occupants of the vehicle reportedly at fault.
The officers were told the occupants of the other vehicle, described as a white male and white female with orange hair, had fled the area on foot before police arrived. Witnesses said the pair were last seen headed north on North Mission and into the woods.
The man, later identified as Morrison, and woman were located in the 200 block of Westeria Place and detained. They both claimed to be having medical issues so they were each transported by LifeNet to different hospitals.
A witness in the neighborhood told police he saw the man and woman come out of a residence near his house. He said the man went around the side of the house holding a black zippered bag in his hand and then he came back without the bag.
Officers checked the area around the house and on top of a small pile of junk they found a zippered bag that reportedly contained numerous plastic baggies. One baggie contained 2.8 grams of what later tested positive for meth, a set of digital scales and a spoon, both with meth residue, and three used syringes.
Another baggie reportedly contained 12.7 grams of mushrooms, a schedule 1 narcotic.
Morrison reportedly admitted to being the driver of the vehicle involved in the wreck.
The theft warrant reportedly stemmed from allegations that on June 19, around 5 p.m., at Walmart, 1601 Albert Pike, Morrison was seen concealing a grease gun tool kit in his pants and leaving the store without paying.
According to court records, Morrison pleaded guilty on Aug. 10, 2017, in Pulaski County Circuit Court to felony charges of possession of a controlled substance with purpose to manufacture meth and possession of drug paraphernalia and was sentenced to three years in prison.
Local on 10/16/2019