Exploding Lighter Leads to Drug Arrests

By Charlie Bauder, WNEG Radio, Toccoa

Toccoa Police arrested three people last week after an officer said he came up on unusual activity inside a vehicle while on regular patrol.

Chief Tim Jarrell said Corporal Hamp Cross was patrolling on Elberton Street near the intersection with Avon Street between 8 and 9 p.m. last Wednesday when he came up behind a pick-up truck at a stop sign.

“When he noticed the occupants of the vehicle start to move forward erratically, at first he thought it may have been a fight inside the vehicle, but one of the individuals exited the vehicle on the passenger side, (then) he (the officer) noticed his arm was on fire and there appeared to be smoke and fire coming from inside the vehicle,” said Jarrell.

Jarrell said that Corporal Cross investigated and reports that a disposable lighter that was allegedly being used to heat a crack pipe exploded while two people in the vehicle were allegedly trying to smoke crack cocaine.

The chief went on to say police recovered a substance from the vehicle believed to be crack cocaine and a device that can be used for the purposes of smoking crack cocaine.

Police arrested 55-year-old J.C. Cash and 45-year-old Kimberly Farmer, both of Toccoa, for Possession of Crack Cocaine and Possession of Drug Related Objects.

Jarrell said both were treated for any injuries on scene before being transported to the Stephens County Jail.

He said Cash and Farmer were passengers in the vehicle, which 51-year-old Deborah Ann Elmore of Clover, South Carolina was driving. 

Elmore was charged with DUI-Alcohol and Driving While License Suspended.   Police reported Elmore provided two breath samples of .171 and .172.