Champaign man, woman arrested after I-72 crash and drug investigation

PIKE COUNTY, Ill. (WCIA) — A man and a woman from Champaign were arrested in Pike County after law enforcement said they crashed a car — which contained items like used hypodermic syringes, digital scales, and other drug-related paraphernalia — and ran away from the scene.

In the evening of Sept. 5, the Pike County Sheriff’s Department responded to a single-vehicle accident on Interstate 72 eastbound, near mile marker 18. When law enforcement arrived, they found that the people inside the vehicle had fled.

Witnesses told police that a male and female, later identified as 40-year-old Matthew G. Lawrence and 28-year-old Jessica K. Pope, were involved in the crash. The witnesses offered to provide help, both both Lawrence and Pope declined.

The vehicle was towed from the scene, and authorities found crack cocaine, heroin, additional controlled substances, used hypodermic syringes, digital scales, and other drug-related paraphernalia inside of it.

On Sept. 6, a concerned citizen told law enforcement that two individuals had come to their home, and said that they had been left alongside the roadway. Both Lawrence and Pope were found and arrested by deputies the next day, with the help of Pike County Crimestoppers and local residents.

Deputies also recovered a loaded handgun when they arrested Lawrence. He was taken into custody on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and unlawful possession of a controlled substance. Lawrence was also wanted on warrants in Douglas and Peoria Counties.

The sheriff’s office said Pope is facing charges including leaving the scene of an accident, unlawful possession of a weapon, unlawful possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.

Additional controlled substances and drug paraphernalia were found when Lawrence and Pope were arrested, the sheriff’s office said. Both Lawrence and Pope were brought to the Pike County Jail.