Female college student, 19, dies in police custody after she 'panicked' and swallowed a bag of meth during traffic stop arrest

Madeleine Gene Richardson, 19, was pronounced dead at hospital in Texas in the early hours of Saturday

Her family described the college student as a 'beautiful young lady inside and out'



A 19-year-old college student has tragically died after swallowing a baggie of meth in what appears to be a panicked, split-second decision when her car was pulled over for speeding.

Teenager Madeleine Gene Richardson, who coached a swim team and studied at Lone Star College in Texas, was traveling in a car with friends when they were pulled over during a traffic stop on Friday.

Richardson, from Kingwood, Texas, was arrested along with the 20-year-old driver Gary Keife when an officer spotted marijuana residue and drug apparatus including pipes in the car.



Drug death: Madeleine Gene Richardson, 19, died after swallowing a baggie of meth in police custody at the weekend

Cut short: Texas Rangers are investigating after the 19-year-old (pictured center) died in custody

A third female passenger was released while Richardson and Keife were charged with a Class-C misdemeanor over the drug paraphernalia.



Richardson was not searched as no female officer was present but her bag was removed and she was placed in handcuffs.

She and Keife were taken in two separate squad cars to the Washington County Jail on Friday afternoon around 2.45pm.

Chief Deputy Jay Petrash told MailOnline that Richardson looked ill when she arrived at the jail entrance just ten minutes later. Officers quickly asked what she had taken.

She admitted to officers that she had swallowed a baggie of meth leading them to call an ambulance.



Deputy Petrash said, in theory, the teenage girl could have swallowed the drugs when the traffic cop first signaled for their vehicle to stop.



It took around one mile for their vehicle to pull over after the officer had flashed his lights, Deputy Petrash said.



Tragic end: Miss Richardson, pictured with her boyfriend Mason, died in hospital after she swallowed a baggie of meth when arrested on July 5 in a car that was speeding

She was taken to Scott & White Hospital-Brenham but pronounced dead at 4.30am on July 6. It is not clear the quantity of drugs that the 19-year-old girl swallowed. The results of an autopsy have not yet been released.

The Texas Rangers were investigating the young woman's death in custody as part of standard procedure. Deputy sheriff Petrash added: 'It's a tragedy when it is such a young person. I don't know, maybe she panicked or got scared.' Possession of methamphetamine is classed as a felony under Texas law and can carry a prison sentence. Shock: The sheriff said that Miss Richardson's death in police custody was 'tragic'

Life cut short: Miss Richardson (pictured left) had been in a car with friends when she was pulled over during a traffic stop and appeared to make a split-second decision to swallow the meth

In an obituary Miss Richardson was described by her distraught family as a 'beautiful young lady, inside and out, who had a love for her family that exceeded all'.



It read: 'A daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, and cousin, all of which she was proud to be.'



The 19-year-old, who was born in Humble, Texas, graduated from Kingwood High School last year and had been attending SFA University and Lone Star College.



She excelled at swimming in high school and had been coaching the MBW Marlins Swim Team while also working at a local Italian restaurant.



The teenager is survived by her parents Rick and Suzanne Richardson and her sister Aubrey.



Her funeral is due to be held on Thursday at St Martha Catholic Church in Porter, Texas.