Driver in wreck faces drug charge

A Crystal River man faces a felony charge of possessing marijuana with intent to sell after his car is hit from behind.

By BILL VARIAN

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 1, 2000

CRYSTAL RIVER -- Wednesday just got worse and worse for Richard Timothy O'Brien.

First, somebody hit the 26-year-old Crystal River man's 1984 Ford Mustang from behind as he slowed to turn into the Family Pool, Spa & Billiards Centers on State Road 44.

Then, a deputy who happened upon the scene discovered a half-pound of marijuana that witnesses said O'Brien had just tried to ditch.

O'Brien was not listed at fault in the accident, which caused up to an estimated $1,500 in damage to the rear of his car. Now he's looking at up to five years in prison on a felony charge of possession of marijuana with intent to sell after slowing to make the wrong turn at the wrong time.

A deputy tacked on citations for failing to have proof of insurance and his driver's license following the accident.

"If it hadn't been for the accident, he probably would have made out all right," said Deputy Robby Bell, who investigated the crash for the Citrus County Sheriff's Office.

O'Brien was heading east on SR 44 when he attempted to make a right turn at the Family Pool, Spa & Billiards Centers, about a quarter-mile west of Meadowcrest Boulevard. There, he was rear-ended by a commercial pickup belonging to Blackshears Aluminum Inc.

Another deputy happened upon the accident. Several witnesses reported that they had seen O'Brien hide a white plastic bag near a fence. The deputy retrieved the bag and asked O'Brien about it. O'Brien admitted it was his, an arrest report said.

Inside were eight plastic baggies containing a total of about 28 grams of marijuana, or roughly a half-pound, according to the arrest report. The marijuana had an estimated street value of about $800, said Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Ronda Hemminger Evan.

O'Brien was taken to the Citrus County Detention Facility, where he was being held on $5,000 bail. He also faces the prospect of losing his car if the Sheriff's Office decides to seize the vehicle by proving it was being used for illegal activity.

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