On Friday night, a routine traffic stop leads to a foot pursuit through a swamp south of the Alabama Stateline.

Initially, Walton County Sheriff’s Deputy Matt Maikowski attempted to pull over a 1985 Nissan pick-up truck for a rear stop light cover either removed, or broken. That’s when the driver, Robert Peters of Westville, would turn on to County Highway 2A before turning into a long driveway.

The 43-year-old driver then crashed into a support post of the barn, and jumped out of the truck with a box in his arms. Deputy Maikowski chased Peters through a patch of woods and into a swamp. With the water varying from his thigh to his chest, the Deputy saw the suspect drop the box he was carrying. Plastic bags of marijuana were seen floating in the water.

Deputy Maikowski caught up with the suspect and apprehended him. With the suspect in handcuffs, the Deputy began to pick-up the plastic bags filled with the cannabis that came out of the box. Some of the bags sank due to Deputy Maikowski having to control the suspect, while at the same time retrieve the evidence.

Once out of the swamp, responding law enforcement personnel found a white plastic bag, similar to a grocery bag, full of cannabis inside the truck as well. In addition, there was pot all over the floor boards, seats, and center console. An inventory of the marijuana weighed 367 grams.

Besides possessing marijuana over 20-grams and resisting an officer, Peters also faces the charge of hit and run with leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage, along with a traffic citation of having improper signal lights. Peters was transported to the Walton County Jail where his bond has been set at 10-thousand dollars.