Samuel James Eldridge
Samuel James Eldridge, 41, has been arrested for possession of heroin, fentanyl and meth during a traffic stop on I-75 NB in East Ridge.
East Ridge Police reported that at approximately 9:52 p.m. on Feb. 10 an officer observed a tan Buick traveling in the 5100 block of Anderson Avenue with the exhaust pipe hitting the roadway. When the officer conducted a U-turn, the vehicle accelerated at a high rate of speed, turning onto S. Lovell Avenue.
The vehicle failed to stop at S. Lovell and S. Terrace streets, and continued onto the interstate. The officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle in the 200 block of I-75 NB. The driver, Eldridge, told the officer he did not have a driver's license. When asked to exit the vehicle, Eldridge allowed the vehicle to roll forward. The officer advised him several times to put the vehicle in park, but Eldridge continued to let the vehicle roll. The officer stepped into the roadway and Eldridge put the vehicle in park and was assisted out of the vehicle.
He was detained and identified and gave consent to search his pockets. The officer found a small plastic bag with suspected narcotics in it. The bag held .53 grams of meth, .55 grams of heroine and .6 grams of fentanyl. The officer also observed four Roxicodone pills in the driver's seat.
Eldridge, of 457 Williams Dr., Chattanooga, was arrested and the vehicle was towed.
Eldridge said he had just purchased the narcotics and was driving home. He gave the officer consent to look through his phone messages, which confirmed he had just made the purchases.
In a search of Eldridge at the jail, an additional .7 grams of fentanyl was found on his person.
Eldridge was charged with possession of fentanyl for resale, possession of heroin, possession of meth and possession of schedule II narcotics.