GCSO deputies reported a traffic stop at about midnight Wednesday on Brian Setterich Road resulted in the recovery of almost half a million dollars in U.S. currency, more than 34,000 oxycodone pills and a variety of cocaine, heroin and marijuana.

WEWAHITCHKA — A late-night traffic stop ended with Gulf County Sheriff’s Office deputies making a historic drug bust — seizing more than a million dollars in cash and narcotics — that could go toward storm recovery, officials reported.

Storm Cinque Sims, 29, of Callaway, was arrested in the drug bust. GCSO deputies reported a traffic stop about midnight Wednesday on Brian Setterich Road resulted in the recovery of almost half a million dollars in cash, more than 34,000 oxycodone pills and a various amounts of cocaine, heroin and marijuana.

The estimated value is more than a million dollars, said Gulf County Sheriff Mike Harrison. He said the bust could be the largest in the area’s history.

“I would venture a guess that this is the largest drug bust in Gulf County history,” Harrison said. “As far as the dollar amount and the street value of the narcotics recovered, this is substantial.”

It happened just before midnight when GCSO deputies were “running radar” along Brian Setterich Road. A driver in a blue Kia van passed the deputies driving 40 mph in a posted 25 mph zone. In addition to the speed, the van also had a brake light out on the driver’s side, officers reported.

As the deputies attempted a traffic stop, the van turned north on State 71. At one point, the driver veered into the southbound lane and onto the shoulder. Once on the shoulder, the driver opened the door of the van, jumped from the vehicle and fled into the woods, officers reported.

“It was not a prolonged pursuit,” Harrison said. “Our officers were right up on him — he’s driving a van. I believe he thought his best option was to bail and trust his feet more than his wheels. But his feet failed.”

The driver ran several hundred yards into the woods before deputies caught up with him. No one was injured in the foot pursuit. Once deputies got back to the car, they found a loaded 9mm pistol within reach of the driver in addition to a large cache of ammunition, GCSO reported.

In other parts of the van, deputies found $470,640 in cash, 34 plastic bags containing about 1,000 oxycodone pills each, 7.8 ounces of “black tar” heroin, 20.8 grams of powder cocaine, 25.5 grams of crack cocaine and 2 pounds, 9 ounces of marijuana. Officials estimated the street value of the drugs to be $540,000.

Harrison said his office already has begun the civil forfeiture process to get the cash into the Gulf County coffers. He was reluctant to speculate what the impact of the windfall to the county could entail.

“It would have a huge impact on a county of this size,” Harrison said. “All we know is it’s off the streets, and that’s what matters. Anytime something is out of the bad guys’ hands and into the good guys’ hands, good things can come.”

The suspect, later identified as Sims, was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to sell, trafficking in oxycodone, possession of heroin, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of drug paraphernalia, fleeing and eluding, and driving with a suspended license. He was transported and booked into the Gulf County Detention Facility where he is being held on a $374,000 bond.

Investigators have yet to establish the origins of the drugs or their destination. GCSO is coordinating with neighboring agencies to determine a possible supply chain. However, Harrison congratulated his officers on the significant drug seizure.

“Like most areas, we’re still recovering from the storm,” he said. “We’ve got officers out there with damaged homes that continue to cover a variety of things. But we know we have a drug problem, and we continue to keep the right people in the right place at the right time. We continue to persevere, and we got a lot of drugs and a bad guy off the streets.”