Ohio police are no strangers to bizarre traffic stops. But this one? This one involved a pet raccoon named Chewy, a glass meth pipe, and a car full of hard drugs.
It started off like any standard pullover. Springfield Township Officer Austin Branham stopped a vehicle after realizing the owner had a suspended license and an active warrant. The driver—55-year-old Victoria Vidal—was detained without any trouble. Then Branham went back to the car.
And that’s where things got weird.
Police Stop Driver, Find Meth, Crack, and a Raccoon Riding Shotgun With a Pipe
In the driver’s seat sat Chewy, Vidal’s pet raccoon, apparently holding a glass meth pipe in his tiny paws like it was just another Tuesday.
“While our officers are trained to expect the unexpected, finding a raccoon holding a meth pipe is a first,” the Springfield Township Police Department said in a statement, which now lives forever on the internet.
The sight of Chewy with drug paraphernalia in his mouth triggered a deeper search of the vehicle. Officers uncovered a bulk quantity of methamphetamine, several used glass pipes, and what they believe to be crack cocaine. Vidal now faces charges for drug possession and paraphernalia, plus a citation for driving under suspension. Lab results will determine if more charges—specifically for crack—are added.
Body camera footage from the stop shows Chewy looking eerily calm in the front seat, as if he’s done this before. No one seems sure how he got hold of the pipe, but police confirmed that he wasn’t harmed and didn’t ingest anything. Which is good news, though a low bar.
They also verified that Vidal had the proper permits to legally own a raccoon—which is, somehow, completely legal in Ohio as long as you have the paperwork. Just maybe don’t give it access to your drug stash.
Animal control and local authorities have been notified, but so far Chewy isn’t facing any consequences. The same can’t be said for his owner.
What is clear: this traffic stop may go down as one of the strangest in Ohio history—a state already known for its bizarre run-ins with exotic animals, rogue wildlife, and headline-making pets.
This is, after all, the same state where a zebra nearly bit a man’s arm off, camels escaped a petting zoo, and dozens of lions, tigers, and bears once roamed loose after a private zoo owner opened all their cages. In that context, a meth-smoking raccoon riding shotgun almost feels…on brand.
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