Driver accused of DUI, trafficking meth after near crash with deputy

WALTON COUNTY, Fla. — A Freeport man has been accused of driving under the influence and trafficking methamphetamine after nearly causing a collision with a Walton County Sheriff’s deputy, said the Walton County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO).

According to the WCSO, just before midnight on January 7, a deputy traveling south on Highway 331 near the intersection of State Road 20 encountered a vehicle that reportedly pulled out of a gas station, crossing three lanes without stopping and narrowly missing the deputy’s patrol car.

The deputy conducted a traffic stop in the CEFCO parking lot and observed that the vehicle’s registration had expired. Both the driver and passenger allegedly attempted to exit the vehicle during the stop, but the deputy instructed them to remain seated.

The driver was identified as Bart Maxwell Bishop, 59, of Inez Drive in Freeport. According to the WCSO, a search of Mr Bishop revealed a bag containing a white substance in his waistband. The substance reportedly tested positive for methamphetamine and weighed 10.5 grams.

A subsequent search of the vehicle reportedly uncovered two additional bags of methamphetamine weighing over 10 grams combined.

Bishop was arrested on charges of trafficking methamphetamine and DUI. He was transported to the Walton County Jail and issued a $50,000 bond.