A woman who unsuccessfully tried to flush a baggie of unknown contents while being booked into the Limestone County Jail Monday then swallowed the contents, an official said.

Limestone County Sheriff’s Office Spokesman Stephen Young said the incident happened while Aleia Jean Johnson, 36, of 1557 County Road 148, Town Creek, was being booked on charges of driving under the influence.

Authorities received a call just after 9 a.m. Monday alerting them to a white pickup truck on U.S. 31 whose driver might be under the influence. Witnesses saw the truck stop in the middle of the road to change drivers.

When an officer pulled the truck over in the Athens Kmart parking lot, Johnson took off on foot with a purse while the driver — 34-year-old Holly Jane Meeks of 28362 Jennings Chapel Road, Toney — stayed in the vehicle. Meeks was on her way to court for a distribution of controlled substance charge.

Young said Johnson ran toward the back of McDonald’s, but a deputy caught up to her and apprehended her. An investigator drove Meeks to court while Johnson was being arrested.

Young added deputies noted a strong odor of marijuana coming from the truck.

After Johnson was transported to the jail, she was observed attempting to pull something from her underwear and attempting to throw it in the toilet. Young said she then put the baggie in her mouth, swallowed the contents and spit the baggie back out.

A search of a purse she was carrying yielded eight two-milligram Xanax pills, a needle, a glass container with white residue and a spoon. In addition to the DUI charge, Johnson was charged with tampering with evidence and attempt to elude by any means and felony possession of a controlled substance. Her bond was set at $7,000.