Pacin, Arizona. A routine traffic stop turned deadly on the evening of May 20th, 2023 when a 45-year-old man collapsed and later died after exhibiting signs of impairment. Hello. How are you? Station, I guess. All right. Yep. So, who's been drinking in the car? Just you? Have you been drinking at all? Nothing. I'm just bringing them up the road when you go to store. Can I have you put the cigarette out? Can I have you just step up real quick? I want to make sure you're good to go and I'll get you on your way. Yes, sir. Yeah, thank you. All right. Yeah. Well, I'm trying I'm trying to get the insurance, though. No worries on that. Go ahead. Just have that that phone on the driver's seat. All right. And go ahead, put your cigarette out for me. You want You need my insurance stuff, too? Nope. Don't worry about that. All right. All right. We'll walk back to the second car. All right. So, no alcohol at all for you tonight? No. I mean, I had drink way earlier. What What time was that? Oh, 3 4:00 2:00. Yeah, I'm just set up, dude. Yeah, no worries. All right. What I what I want you to do, we'll step down here. Yeah. Go ahead. I'll have you face facing me this way just so we're not looking that way. Go ahead. Turn your hat around backwards for me. What's your name? James Rangardner. Okay. Go ahead. Stand with your feet together, hands down by your sides. Face me. Face me. Turn all. All right. Do you have any head or eye conditions? No. All right. Any prescription medication usage? No. Any illegal drug usage? No. Any marijuana usage? Um, recreational. Yes. All right. When's the last time you used marijuana? Um, actually I haven't smoked in a few days. Okay. Uh, are you wearing contacts? No. All right. Let's see. Can you see this green light? Yes, sir. What I want you to do is keep your head still. Follow your eyes and your eyes only with the green light. All right. Do you normally have two different pupil sizes? I guess. I don't know. Just keep it still for me. Oh, there we go. Now, the the left eye was just a little better now. I do get a twitch in this side. Okay. Yeah. No, your left your left eye was just a a little squinting a little bit. All right. Just keep your head still. Follow that with your eyes and your eyes only. All right. Keep your head still for me. Okay. Oh, head still. Okay. Yeah. Keep your head still. Keep your body still. Right. Yes, sir. Yep. Keep your head still. If it helps, put your put your hands like this. Just put your hands like that. Yep. Just Just to keep your Just to help keep your head still. All right. Mhm. Am I doing it right? You're still moving your head a little bit. All right. supposed to be watching, huh? Yeah. Officers with the PAC Police Department pulled over a white Ford F-150 pickup for speeding 69 mph in a 55 mph zone near Highway 260 and East Highland Drive. The driver identified as James Ren Gardner initially cooperated but showed signs of impairment during a field sobriety test. You trying to hypnotize me? No, we're we're almost done. Almost done. Yes, sir. So, how how much did you have to drink earlier? I just had a couple drinks, dude. But it was hours ago, man. I mean, I told you two or three, man. I mean, I went and ate. We went pizza. These people like these people. They're homeless. You know what I'm talking about. Yeah. Trying to be nice. be a nice guy, dude. And [ __ ] they're going 70. I'm like, where am I going? 70. Where'd you guys You said you had pizza. Yeah, we had pizza at the right by bashes. $27 one game. Okay, that's not too bad. I'd like to run you through a couple more tests. Do you have any conditions that would prevent you from walking, turning, or balancing on one leg? Shouldn't the mountain hit I'm going to have this car up. Go ahead. Just uh wait right here for me. All right. I'm good. You all right? We're go ahead and roll medical passed out. Hey buddy. Hey. Hey buddy. You don't know what I was expected on the roadway. Grab my bag out of the back of my car. If you can let fire now, he's bleeding from the nose. He hit his head pretty good. Midway through the sobriety test, Gardner collapsed without warning, striking his head and bleeding from his nose. First responders administered Narcan, suspecting an opioid overdose, but it had no effect. I'm getting you still. Yeah. Yeah. You're smart for a second. So, really, you hear me, James? He smacked around hard. So, yeah. Awesome. You're an idiot. Yeah. his uh a little small but um guy in back. He what? Yeah. I'll push Nan just in case. Yeah. Keep your eyes on those those two in the truck. Hey, you all right? One in the bed, one in the calf. I'm just going to have them step out. Good. We need a note tweet that we go to. Two passengers, a father and son, Vernon Senior and Vernon Jr. were questioned. Hey man, so your uh what's his name? Yeah, driver. James. James. So James just totally passed out. like 100% full on just fell over. Um, you guys aren't in any trouble, but just because we're gonna be dealing with that for a minute, would you mind just stepping out for a second? Hello, sir. I'm not sure if you heard me. Did you hear what I was saying? All right. Yeah. So, James just totally passed out like just now. Totally fell over. So, you guys aren't in any trouble. Um, but we are going to be dealing with that for a second. So, would you mind? I guess they were just talking and then all of a sudden just full on Wow. fell over. So, um, has he been using tonight? No. At this, guys, let me tell you, at this point, it's not a matter of of police. It's a matter of his medical well-being in life, right? So, if he has been using, it's good for us to know so that they can take care of him. Um, I I know you guys. I know you have used in the past. Um, like I said, this is not a police related thing. This is his life we're talking about. So, if he's been using or if you guys have been using tonight, now is the time to to let I don't know if he did or not. You don't know if he What What's his drug of choice? Is it fentanyl? A long time ago. Long time ago. Yeah. Long time ago. What What has he been using recently? And again, guys, I I need to know for his Yeah. You know, I don't know. You're not sure? Okay. Is it M30s, the Blues? Right. Not sure. Not sure. Initially, both denied Gardner had used any drugs that day. However, under further interrogation, Vernon Jr. admitted they had smoked methamphetamine before the stop and that Gardner had ingested two pills believed to be fentinyl during the traffic stop. Despite suspicions of a fentinyl overdose, the autopsy revealed no opioids in Gardner system. Instead, the official cause of death was dilated cardiomyopathy and enlarged heart due to methamphetamine and alcohol toxicity. Experts say the combination of stimulants and alcohol likely triggered a fatal cardiac event exacerbated by an underlying heart condition. This case underscores the dangers of poly substance use and the unpredictability of drugrelated medical emergencies. Authorities urge anyone struggling with addiction to seek help through resources like Sam Sha's national helpline. James was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.