Alleged Air-Duster huffer busted behind the wheel

Sept. 30– A 24-year-old Selmer man crashed his vehicle at Savannah’s busiest intersection, allegedly under the influence of a common aerosol spray used to clean computers, city police say.

James D. Dickey is charged with driving under the influence, violation of the implied consent law and improper use of an inhalant in connection with Tuesday’s 7 p.m. incident.

According to the arrest report, officers got a call about a possible intoxicated motorist on Wayne Road.

Police say Dickey ran a red light at the intersection of Wayne and Main Street. His vehicle rolled across three lanes of traffic and the turning lane and stopped when it hit the sidewalk at the southwest corner of the intersection.

Dickey appeared to be under the influence of something, the officer said, and told him he had been inhaling "Air-Duster" and blacked out and woke up on the sidewalk.

A can of the product, "extremely cold" and covered with condensation as an apparent result of heavy recent discharge, was also found on the floorboard behind the driver’s seat, the report states.

According to the Alliance for Consumer Education, most "canned air" for blowing off computer parts and keyboards actually contains tetrafluoroethane or difluoroethane.

Deliberately inhaling these and other common chemicals can yield severe, immediate effects, including intoxication, dizziness, lack of coordination, hallucinations and impaired judgment.

A condition known as "Sudden Sniffing Death Syndrome" can occur even with first-time users.