August 2, 2019 – A 36-year-old Mount Pleasant man was arrested Thursday for driving while intoxicated, marking at least his third drunk driving offense; he and the 36-year-old passenger were also charged with possession of less than 28 grams of a Penalty Group 3 controlled substance after police found three different types of pills were found in the pair’s vehicle.
The pair was reported for reckless driving a Chevrolet Silverado in the 1300 block of South Hillcrest Drive at noon Aug. 1. Sulphur Springs Police Officer Jameison Hawkins reportedly spoke with a witness to the alleged reckless driving and the driver, identified in arrest reports as 36-year-old Ashley Rex Hightower of Mount Pleasant.
Hightower was alleged to be very unsteady on his feet, to have glassy eyes and slurred speech. When Hightower failed standard field sobriety tests, the officer placed him into custody, Hawkins and SSPD Officer Adrian Pruitt alleged in arrest reports.
The passenger, identified in arrest reports as 36-year-old Benjamen Bower Walker of Mount Pleasant, reportedly gave the officers permission to search two restaurant bags that were removed from the vehicle. Officers alleged a bag containing several pills as well as a medication bottle with a faded prescription label was found in the food bags. The pills were identified as Alprazolam and oxycodone, according to arrest reports. Both Hightower and Walker were taken into custody for possession of less than 28 grams of a Penalty Group 3 controlled substance. Several hydrocodone pills were also alleged to have been found in an Aleve bottle during an inventory of the truck, the officers noted in arrest reports.
Upon arrival at the county jail, Hightower allegedly refused to submit to a blood test, so the officers sought and obtained a blood search warrant, requiring the test. Hightower was taken to CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs, where a blood sample was drawn at 1:35 p.m. Aug. 1. Hightower was then transported back to jail, where he was also booked for third or more DWI offense, Hawkins and Pruitt alleged in arrest reports.
Both remained in the county jail Friday morning, Aug. 2. Hightower’s bond was set at $10,000 on the DWI charge. Bond on the controlled substance charge was set at $2,000, according to jail reports.
