BETHEL – A Muscatine, Iowa couple was arrested by Sullivan County Sheriff’s deputies after their pickup truck crashed into the front porch of the Stray Cat Art Galley on Route 17B in the Town of Bethel early Friday morning.
Undersheriff Eric Chaboty said the vehicle, which was traveling toward Monticello, ran off the road and struck the porch.
Pickup hit with such force the porch was dislodged from the house
Rife
Martin
The driver, Ronald Martin, 50, and his passenger, Jessica Rife, 41, attempted
to flee on foot, but were followed by a witness who pointed them out to
sheriff’s units.
As they fled, the couple dropped two pouches near a house that was for sale. They were recovered and found to contain some nine grams of methamphetamine.
The couple was heading to Ellenville where Martin was to be employed on a construction job.
Martin was charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, leaving
the scene of a motor vehicle accident, felony criminal possession of a
controlled substance, felony criminal mischief and tampering with physical
evidence. Rife was charged with felony criminal possession of a controlled
substance and tampering with physical evidence. They were both committed
to the Sullivan County Jail on $50,000 bail pending a future court appearance.
The pickup was unregistered and uninsured.
