ABOVE: Speaking with his sergeant, a BPD patrolman uses his fingers to illustrate the size of the suspected bag of drugs swallowed by the driver.

HYANNIS, MASSACHUSETTS — A 55-year-old Weymouth man is facing drug charges after he swallowed a golf ball-size bag of suspected narcotics during a traffic stop early Thursday, forcing Barnstable police officers to perform immediate life-saving measures while the man choked on his own stash.

The bizarre incident unfolded around 12:30 a.m. on Route 28 near Hinckley Road. A Barnstable patrolman pulled over a red Toyota Camry. The driver told officers he was in town visiting his aunt. A computer check revealed a lengthy criminal record that included a prior firearm charge, prompting a second officer to arrive as backup.

While the man was still behind the wheel, officers spotted what appeared to be crack cocaine in the cup holder. They ordered him out of the car. As he stepped out, a large bulge was visible in his sock. Before officers could react, the man threw himself to the ground and quickly ingested a bag pulled from his sock, according to police sources.

He immediately began choking on the golf ball-size package of suspected narcotics. Officers sprang into action, calling for an ambulance and additional units while trying to lift him into position for the Heimlich maneuver. In the struggle, the man somehow managed to swallow the entire bag, clearing his airway and allowing him to breathe again.

Route 28 was shut down as a Hyannis Fire Department ambulance crew and more police arrived. The conscious man was loaded onto a stretcher and rushed to Cape Cod Hospital for emergency treatment — with the bag of suspected drugs still somewhere deep down inside him.

A search of the vehicle turned up two or three additional bags of suspected narcotics, including crack cocaine and what officers believe is fentanyl, along with drug paraphernalia such as a spoon with powdery residue. Police sources confirmed the largest bag remained inside the suspect.

The man is now facing criminal drug charges. The incident remains under investigation, and authorities have not yet been able to disclose the exact substance that was swallowed.

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