By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
An Atmore woman who admitted to having pot in her vehicle when she was pulled over by city police for stopping in the middle of a state highway, was also charged with felony drug possession when officers found several hallucinogenic pills in her car.
The pills tested positive for Ecstasy, a manmade stimulant known as a designer drug because it was created for the sole purpose of making someone feel high. According to kidshealth.org, Ecstasy has become one of the most commonly used illegal drugs sold on the streets today.
Atmore Police Department reports show that an officer on routine patrol was stopped in the median of Alabama 21, waiting for traffic to clear so he could resume his patrol duties, around 11:45 p.m. on April 7 when a vehicle traveling southbound came to a complete stop in the highway.
The driver of that vehicle, later identified as 39-year-old Mary Alice Thames, flashed her headlights for the officer to turn or continue straight, but the officer waited on Thames to resume driving.
When the local woman continued on her way, the officer activated his blue lights and conducted a traffic stop. While the policeman was investigating the reason Thames stopped in the middle of the road, she reportedly admitted to having marijuana in her vehicle.
That statement was verified when a small amount of the illicit weed was found in her ashtray, but felony charges were lodged when she was found to have in her possession an unspecified quantity of pills that were later identified as Ecstasy.
Thames was processed into the Escambia County Detention Center on one count each of possession of a controlled substance and second-degree possession of marijuana.
She was also issued a traffic citation and taken to the county jail, where she remained late Monday, April 11.