Burnt pot provides whiff of suspicion

A West Chester man probably would have liked to defuse the smell of burnt marijuana during his traffic stop on Saturday at 1 p.m. since it led to a host of other charges.

West Whiteland Township police said Richard L. Higgins, 23, of West Chester, was pulled over in the 300 block of West Lincoln Highway for equipment violations when an officer got a whiff of pot. After further investigation, Higgins was determined to be in possession of smoking pipes, a baggie with suspected marijuana, and an unlicensed, loaded, concealed .45 caliber pistol, police said. To make matters worse,  Higgins was driving with a suspended driver's license, said police, who released him to await a summons from the Exton district court.