On Saturday, Dispatch advised that they received a call for a possible intoxicated driver in a Red Hyundai that turned onto Cox Valley Rd. heading towards Crab Orchard. Deputy Ethan Wilson was en route to the area where the vehicle was last seen and prior to arrival, dispatch advised that the caller had called back in stating that the Hyundai got onto I-40 and was heading West.

Deputy Wilson waited at the 322 on-ramp of I-40 and while sitting in the area, observed a red Hyundai drive past. Wilson got in behind the vehicle and observed that the red Hyundai was following too closely on a semi-truck and had something underneath the vehicle that was about to fall off.

The vehicle got off of I-40 at the 317 exit, which is where Wilson conducted a traffic stop in the parking lot of Exxon on Highway 127 North.
He made contact with the driver, Ryan Harding, who said he didn’t have a valid driver’s license.

While speaking to Harding, Deputy Matheus observed a marijuana grinder in the center area below the radio inside the vehicle. The deputies asked Harding to exit the vehicle and, while out, Wilson conducted a probable cause search on the vehicle and located a set of digital scales
that had crystalline residue on them and another container that had a skull on the front containing several small empty clear bags.

Deputy Wilson heard Harding say that he wanted to talk to someone. He said that he wanted to come clean and be honest with deputies. When asked what he had, he said that he had gotten mixed up with the wrong people but still wanted to be honest and stated that he had narcotics under the back seat of the vehicle.

Harding showed the deputies where exactly the narcotics were, and deputies went to the passenger side of the vehicle and looked under the back seat, and observed several clear sandwich bags containing a crystalline substance.

Deputy Matheus read Harding his Miranda rights and he stated that he understood and would answer any questions. Deputy Wilson asked him what the substance was, and Harding stated it was methamphetamine. Harding was placed into custody and transported to the Cumberland County Justice Center for Man, Del, Sell of Methamphetamine.

The methamphetamine was weighed at approximately 10.91 grams and placed into evidence to be sent to TBI for further processing.