Sheriff’s investigators arrested a man in connection with a meth lab that exploded last week at a Bainbridge home.

On Monday, Lt. Chip Nix arrested 23-year-old Joshua Brian Buckhaulter of 201 Hales Landing Road, Bainbridge, in connection with an exploded meth lab they discovered in the garage of 2606 Twin Lakes Drive on Nov. 14.

The lab was discovered after Nix received information that 31-year-old Jeffrey Parker of Bainbridge, who was under investigation for drug-related activities, suffered severe chemical burns and was taken to the hospital in critical condition on the night of Nov. 13.

A search warrant was served on Parker’s residence, which was leased by his girlfriend, 32-year-old Nicole Marle Hainline.

Nix said Hainline had knowledge that Parker was involved in the manufacture of the drugs but did not know it was taking place at her home.

“There is no evidence to prove Hainline was an active participant in the manufacture,” Nix said.

Parker is still receiving treatment at the hospital and charges will be pending on him according to the investigator.

Buckhaulter is also believed to have been involved in the manufacture of the drug inside the home at the time of the explosion.

On Monday, Buckhaulter was arrested and charged with manufacturing methamphetamine, manufacturing methamphetamine in the presence of a child and possession of ephedrine.

Gas tanker overturned

Shortly after 9 a.m. emergency services responded to an overturned tanker truck off U.S. 27 South near Attapulgus.

Decatur Fire and Rescue along with Attapulgus and Fowlstown Volunteer Firefighters were on scene to assist the potentially dangerous situation—the tanker filled with gasoline.

The driver of the vehicle told the Georgia State Patrol troopers he had attempted to change lanes when he realized another car was in his blindspot. When he returned to the right hand lane another car was in front of him and he was forced to get onto the right shoulder of the roadway.

According to incident reports, the tanker traveled approximately 180 feet on the shoulder before overturning into the west side ditch.

Gasoline did not leak from the tanker and the fuel was offloaded into another tanker.

The driver suffered only minor injuries.

Click it or ticket

This week the Georgia Governors Office of Highway Safety launched a statewide high-visibility Click It or Ticket campaign to, “buckle down on all motorists not buckling up … especially those in rural areas.”

In a letter written by Bob Dallas, director of the office, he urges drivers in rural areas to buckle up for their own safety and provides some interesting statistics.

“Last year, 342 people died in crashes in the five metropolitan Atlanta areas. Compare that with 527 fatal crashes in Georgia’s most rural counties,” Dallas writes.

He attributes the numbers to the frequency of rural roads to be narrow, two lane roads with no physical barriers separating oncoming traffic.

Georgia State Patrol Sgt. Marc Godby of the Colquitt post said Decatur County is one of the counties that will be targeted in this week as seat belt and child restraint laws are strictly enforced.

Arrests & Citations

The following arrests and citations, occurring between Nov. 13-14, have been reported by Bainbridge Public Safety and the Decatur County Jail:

• Latonya Denise Campbell, 32, 1732 Bethel Road, Apt. 8-B, Bainbridge, deposit account fraud (three counts), SO;

• Damon Maurice Glenn, 29, 730 Washington St., Bainbridge, aggravated assault, probation violation—original charge sale of cocaine, BPS;

• Erick Lamar Grant, 25, 2452 Dothan Road, Lot 3, Bainbridge, parole violation—original charge sale of cocaine, BPS;

• Ernesto Montalvo, 20, 113 Georgia St., Bainbridge, driving without license, BPS;

• Donald Eugene Owens, 32, 2450 John Collins Road, Pelham, deposit account fraud, SO;

• William Parish Jr., 45, possession of firearms by convicted felon and first offender probation, SO;

• Vickie Victoria Steatean, 25, Moultrie, Ga., probation violation—original charge driving while license suspended (second offense), SO;

• Sabrina Ward Young, 31, Hartford, Ala., failure to pay for gas, deposit account fraud, SO.