Jun. 7—A Tennessee man was arrested Thursday night after fleeing officers in a traffic stop on Interstate 65, crashing his vehicle, and attempting to escape on foot before officers apprehended him and found fentanyl in his possession, according to the Priceville Police Department.
Lebanon resident Richard Conrad Rothe, 34, is charged with drug trafficking, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting arrest, using false identity to avoid arrest and hinder prosecution, reckless endangerment, driving under the influence, tampering with physical evidence, reckless driving, and felony attempting to elude a police officer.
Police said a Morgan County Circuit Judge has set Rothe’s total bond at $420,300 with additional holds for authorities in Tennessee and Kentucky.
At approximately 11:50 p.m., police said they initiated a traffic stop in the 3200 block of Point Mallard Parkway and made contact with a male driver, Rothe, and a female passenger. An affidavit said police stopped the blue Nissan Altima for seat belt and failure to signal violations.
As soon as officers approached the vehicle, it began to elude them in the southbound lane on I-65 and continued toward Falkville, according to police.
“The suspect’s vehicle exited I-65 and entered the town of Falkville, nearly colliding with two patrol vehicles belonging to the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office,” police said. “The suspect then altered course and continued fleeing toward the Eva area.”
Rothe eventually crashed his vehicle and veered off the road as he rounded a curve on Adams Road in Eva and attempted to escape on foot until deputies apprehended him in a pond where he was trying to conceal himself, according to the affidavit.
Police said they found fentanyl and drug paraphernalia on Routhe and he told paramedics at the scene he had also consumed illegal narcotics. After being checked out at Decatur Morgan Hospital, he was transported to Morgan County Jail.
An affidavit said there was a total of 12.3 grams of fentanyl found on Routhe and that he initially declined to identify himself.
Police said the female passenger was captured in Eva on Friday and charged with unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia. She was held in lieu of $500 bail at Morgan County Jail.
— wesley.tomlinson@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2442.