A Leesburg man pulled over after struggling to make a U-turn was arrested after he allegedly threw a bag of drugs out his car window before coming to a stop.
Demetric Damond Upshaw, 40, of 430 Euclid Ave., was charged with possession of a controlled substance (MDMA), possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana, and driving with a suspended license.
At around 8:21 p.m. Saturday, a Leesburg Police officer was in the turn lane of eastbound East Dixie Avenue at South Canal Street and saw a gold Buick trying to make a U-turn onto West Dixie Avenue. The driver – later identified as Upshaw – was unable to make the turn and was stopped in the middle of the intersection., according to the police report.
At this time, oncoming traffic had to slow to avoid hitting Upshaw’s vehicle. Upshaw then put the vehicle into reverse, backed out of the intersection and back into the turn lane. When traffic cleared, Upshaw tried again to make the U-turn and had to stop, causing an oncoming vehicle to completely stop to avoid hitting him. Upshaw had to make a three-point turn to successfully head westbound on West Dixie Avenue, the report said.
The officer initiated a traffic stop due to the two improper U-turns. As Upshaw turned north onto South 9th Street, before stopping, the officer saw a clear plastic baggie fly out of the front passenger wind and land on the sidewalk at the corner of 9th and Dixie. Upshaw eventually stopped 50 feet south of O’Brien Road, according to the report.
The officer observed Upshaw’s front passenger window was down. When asked for his driver’s license, Upshaw said he just released from jail and did not have one. He provided his name and date of birth to verify his identification, the report said.
Another officer arrived and stood with Upshaw while the first officer walked to the corner to retrieve the bag that was thrown from the vehicle. The bag contained an off-white crystallized substance and a green leafy substance. When told about the discovery, Upshaw said the only thing he threw out the window was a joint, but the officer never found one, according to the report.
The crystalized substance tested positive in a field test and was later identified as MDME, or “Molly.” It weighed 7.5 grams. The leafy substance tested positive for marijuana and weighed 0.5 grams. Upshaw said he did not have a medical marijuana card, the report said.
Upshaw was booked at the Leesburg Police Department and taken to the Lake County Jail, where he was released Sunday on $3,500 bond. He is due to appear in Lake County Court on May 10.
