Amanda Lynn Abell-Morgan, 35, of Drayden
On January 18, 2018 at approximately 8:30 a.m., Trooper First Class Christopher Ditoto of the Maryland State Police Leonardtown Barrack responded to the Fastop gas station in Leonardtown on Point Lookout Road for a reported subject passed out in the side of their vehicle. The complainant advised they attempted to wake the subject up, but was unable to.
Upon his arrival, Ditoto observed a gold, 1999 Mercury Sabel parked to the right of the Fastop. The vehicle appeared to be running with a white female in the driver’s seat whose head was pressed against the driver’s side window. The driver was breathing and appeared to be sleeping.
Ditoto attempted several times to wake the driver, to no avail. He continued to knock on the window until the driver began to move, at which time Ditoto yelled, “wake up ma’am! Are you okay?” The driver then turned the vehicle off, then back on, rolled the window down, and turned the vehicle back off.
While speaking with Abell-Morgan, Ditoto noticed her eyes were glassy and bloodshot, and that her speech was severely slurred. Abell-Morgan informed Ditoto she had driven her daughter to Leonardtown High School because it is her birthday. After dropping her daughter off, Abell-Morgan stated she became very drowsy and decided to drive to the Fastop to sleep instead of driving home.
After being requested to furnish her driver’s license, Abell-Morgan said she does not currently have one. Abell-Morgan then searched for her identification card with movements that Ditoto observed as “extremely lethargic and slow.”
Abell-Morgan informed Ditoto that she is prescribed to several medications and that she most recently consumed suboxone at approximately 1:00 a.m. Ditoto asked her if she still had any of her medication on her and she stated she did. Abell-Morgan began digging through her purse until she located a small bag. opened it and removed a prescription pill bottle from inside containing two different types of pills.
Abell-Morgan placed the pill bottle back into the small bag and placed both types of pills, three green rectangular pills and five orange round pills, on the passenger seat. Ditoto requested Abell-Morgan to perform the standardized field sobriety tests, which she did very poorly, and ubsequently placed her under arrest.
Further investigation revealed the green rectangular pills were alprazolam (generic name for Xanax), which matched the label on the prescription bottle. The five orange round pills were amphetamines, which did not match the bottle’s label.
Abell-Morgan informed Ditoto that the amphetamine pills were Adderall and that she has a prescription for them at her house. Abell-Morgan was transported to the Maryland State Police Leonardtown Barrack.
At approximately 9:30 a.m., Abell-Morgan agreed to submit to the intoximeter test, measuring a .00 blood alcohol concentration.
Amanda Abell-Morgan was then transported to the St. Mary’s County Detention and Rehabilitation Center and charged with the possession of a Schedule II controlled dangerous substance (amphetamine), operating a vehicle while under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance, removing/altering a prescription label, driving/attempting to drive without a license, and a variety of other traffic charges. She was released on bond on January 18, 2018 and has her trial date set for March 6, 2018 at the St. Mary’s District Court.
Amanda Lynn Abell-Morgan, 35, of Drayden
