Suspect Arrested on Suspician of DUI, Designer Drug “Spice” Possibly Purchased in Missoula

On Wednesday, April 3, 19-year-old Omar Rodriguez-Martinez was pulled over after driving strangely on Highway 93 between Missoula and Lolo.

"Witnesses were coming up behind this vehicle and had to slam on their breaks because it was traveling between 10 and 20 miles an hour," said Missoula county Sheriff's Department spokesman Jason Johnson. "It crossed the center lane into oncoming traffic where it was almost involved in a head on collision. It hit a guardrail in the oncoming lane, which put a big dent in the fender and took the mirror off of his car. Then he drifted off to the side of the road and stopped."

Johnson said deputies asked the suspect if he spoke English, but that the suspect said he did not, in English. The suspect was "incoherent" said Johnson.

Later, a Spanish speaking officer from the University of Montana came to question the suspect at the hospital. There, Rodriquez-Martinez said he was under the influence of a drug called “spice” which is sometimes referred to as synthetic marijuana.

Johnson says investigators also found marijuana in the vehicle.

Rodriquez Martinez now faces DUI and Criminal endangerment charges. He claims to have purchased the spice at an adult bookstore in Missoula.

It is unclear at this point whether new regulations allowing DUI prosecution for use of many synthetic drugs will be used by the prosecution.