Two Limestone County sheriff’s deputies went to the hospital Friday after they were told by a suspect they had been exposed to dangerous opiates heroin or fentanyl.

Out of caution, the deputies — Martin Evans and Justin Fields — went to the Athens-Limestone Hospital emergency room for treatment of possible exposure. Both were released after no symptoms of opioid exposure were noted.

According to the incident report filed by Evans in Limestone County District Court, the incident began when Evans and Fields received a call of an unconscious motorist in the parking lot of Gin House Restaurant in Elkmont. The caller was unable to rouse the driver. Evans arrived on the scene to find Jacob Ross Boyles, 26, of 16652 Sallie Lane, Harvest, who was talking to emergency medical personnel.

Evans noticed the Hyundai rental car Boyles was driving had damage to a wheel on the front of the car and had grass inside the wheels. Evans also noticed a field leading off Alabama 127 showed visible tire tracks leading to the vehicle. The deputy also noticed in plain view from outside the vehicle a box of ammunition and a box to a set of digital scales in the back seat. Boyles said he was tired and had pulled off the road to take a short nap.

When asked about the vehicle damage, Boyles said he had not been in an accident. He said he must have damaged the car when pulling out of a friend’s yard and not noticed it.

A field sobriety test conducted by Fields indicated Boyles was slightly intoxicated. The deputies suggested Boyles find an alternate form of transportation. Boyles looked for his cellphone in his car and then said he could not find someone to pick him up. Deputies offered to give Boyles a ride to his friend’s house, and Boyles agreed. However, the deputies said they would need to pat him down for their safety.

During the pat down, Fields felt something in Boyles’ right front pocket. When he removed it with Boyles’ consent he found several items, including a camouflage lighter body. When asked what the object was, Boyles said it was a lighter. Evans asked how it worked, and Boyles opened the lighter’s top. Evans noticed a black box inside the lighter’s hollow body. When Boyles pressed on the container, Evans noticed cellophane wrapper with what appeared to be methamphetamine (ice). Evans tried to get Boyles to state what was in the wrapper but he declined. Evans finally took the container from Boyles, removed the black container and opened it. When he did, a white powder erupted from the container onto his hands and uniform. Evans went to his car to try to decontaminate. The deputies searched the cellophane wrapper inside the lighter body and found four 8 milligram tablets of buprenorphine (opioid) and half a tablet of clonazepam (sedative).

The officers also found a digital scales in Boyles’ back pocket, a plastic bag of meth in one of his pockets and a plastic bag of off-white powder Boyles was trying to palm while being handcuffed.

While Fields was transporting Boyles to the Limestone County Jail, Boyles told Fields the bag that had erupted on both deputies was possibly heroin or fentanyl. Fentanyl is one of the strongest opiate drugs available.

Deputies confiscated the following drugs: buprenorphine, clonazapam, meth, off-white powder believed to be fentanyl and a plastic container of off-white powder.

Boyles was arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance: synthetic narcotic and possession of drug paraphernalia: methamphetamine

He was released from the Limestone County Jail after posting a $5,000 bond.