Cops: Traffic stop leads to three drug arrests in Flanders

What began as a seat belt violation led to the arrest of three people last Thursday when a driver whose license had been revoked reportedly fled from police.

Kevin Smith, 40, of Flanders, was seen driving east on Riverside Avenue around 1:40 p.m. without a seat belt, Southampton police said. When the arresting officer made a U-turn, Mr. Smith allegedly sped down the street and abruptly pulled into his front yard, failed to signal and jumped out of the car. Police then learned Mr. Smith had a non-driver’s license ID due to a previous DWI conviction and was driving without a required interlock device, officials said. When police searched the car before impound they found a quantity of crack cocaine inside. The passengers in the car were then arrested, officials said.

One passenger, Sheryl Madr, 32, of Flanders was found to have a crack pipe containing crack cocaine in her bra, officials said.

Mr. Smith, Ms. Madr and Jennifer McCann, 32, of Westhampton Beach, were charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor.

Mr. Smith was also charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and circumventing an interlock, all misdemeanors, and three traffic violations.

In June 2015, Mr. Smith was arrested for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and traffic violations, according to a previous News-Review article.