Early Morning Traffic Stop Leads to Heroin Arrest Near Pahrump ARCO

A routine traffic stop in the early morning hours of December 14 resulted in a drug arrest and a second offense driving under the influence charge for the vehicle driver. At approximately 3:05 a.m., a Nye County Sheriff’s Office deputy observed a white Ford truck with no visible registration traveling south on Highway 160 and conducted a traffic stop at the ARCO station located at 40 S. Highway 160.

The truck’s sole occupant exited and told the deputy she did not have a valid driver’s license but possessed a temporary moving permit and insurance. The deputy noted the temporary moving permit was not displayed in the windshield. During the encounter the deputy observed involuntary jerking of the driver’s fingers and an inability to stand still. The driver then acknowledged smoking heroin roughly six hours earlier and reported feeling sleepy, and she consented to a search of the vehicle.

Officers found a glass jar containing methadone in the driver’s side door, with an empty syringe beside it. A small keychain bottle containing a white unknown substance was located on the truck’s front center seat. A Nye County Sheriff’s Office sergeant assisted with a mobile drug test, which returned a presumptive positive result for heroin. The woman was placed under arrest, transported to Desert View Hospital for a blood draw completed at 4:36 a.m., and subsequently booked at the Nye County Detention Center.

The woman faces one count of driving under the influence as a second offense and one count of possession of a controlled substance. She also received a verbal warning for driving with a suspended driver’s license. Those outcomes underscore the legal consequences residents can face when drug use intersects with vehicle operation.

Be aware that incidents on Highway 160 affect public safety across Pahrump and surrounding communities. The presence of both methadone and a syringe in the vehicle raises public health concerns and points to the need for continued coordination between law enforcement, medical facilities, and addiction support services in Nye County.