Union County: Driver impaired by meth and marijuana charged with OWI

Lonnie P. L. Harper, 29, of Peru, was taken into custody May 1 on a Union County warrant for the charge of OWI, first offense.

According to a Union County Sheriff’s Office report, at approximately 12:46 a.m. March 7, a 2012 Chevrolet Impala was stopped at Missouri Avenue and Main Street in Lorimor for a traffic violation. Contact was made with the driver, identified as Harper and a female passenger.

The passenger made admissions of illegal substances possibly being in the vehicle. A probable cause search of the vehicle was conducted. Deputies located multiple drug paraphernalia items and two baggies, one containing residue and the other, a white crystalline substance. The contents of both baggies field-tested positive for methamphetamine. Harper and the passenger both denied responsibility of the baggies but both were in arms reach of them.

Harper admitted to smoking marijuana and consented to field sobriety testing, showing clues of impairment on the tests. He consented to provide a breath specimen for chemical testing, the result indicated no presence of alcohol. Harper then consented to provide a urine specimen. The specimen was sent to the state lab, who provided the results showing marijuana metabolites and methamphetamine present in Harper’s system.

Harper was transported to the Union County Jail where he was released from after posting 10% of a $1,000 cash or surety bond.