A Mora man is facing a felony drug possession charge after his car went into the ditch, and he was found slumped over the steering wheel.
Austin Drew Masters, 23, was charged Dec. 8 before Judge James Dehn in Isanti County District Court in Cambridge with felony fifth-degree drug possession. Dehn set Masters’ bail at $12,000 without conditions or $2,000 with conditions.
Masters had been driving during the evening of Dec. 5 in the area of 379th Avenue and Palm Street in Maple Ridge Township when he claimed to have swerved to miss a deer and ended up in the ditch. Authorities found a bag inside Masters’ wallet that tested positive for heroin.
According to the criminal complaint:
On Dec. 5, at 11 p.m., Isanti County deputies Chad Meyer and Todd Willenbring were dispatched for a call on a tow truck who reported a vehicle he had been contacted to remove from the ditch had a male party slumped in the vehicle over the steering wheel.
Upon arrival at the area, Willenbring observed the vehicle in the east ditch facing southbound with Masters slumped forward in the driver’s seat who began to move as the lights were shined on him.
Willenbring asked Masters if he was OK, and he stated he had swerved to avoid a deer approximately 45 minutes prior to Willenbring’s arrival. He said he was fine and had called for a tow, but the tow had not arrived yet.
Meyer told Willenbring he observed a knife in Masters’ right pocket, and Masters was asked to step out of the vehicle.
Willenbring opened the driver’s side door and observed a syringe in the door and then did a pat down of Masters.
When asked if had diabetes or other medical condition, Masters said no. He said he had taken suboxone at approximately 3 a.m. the previous day.
Willenbring asked Masters to perform standard field sobriety tests due to the observations that Masters may be driving under the influence of a controlled substance.
Based upon Masters being slumped over in the vehicle and his admittance to taking suboxone, he was handcuffed and placed in the back of the squad.
During a search of the vehicle, Willenbring observed in the driver’s side door other drug related items under the syringe, including a small bag of marijuana, a grinder and a dugout pipe.
Willenbring took photos of Masters’ wallet and inside the wallet he found a bag that tested positive for heroin.