Child Endangerment Charges Stem From Toddlers in the Car
A young mother from Howell is facing some very serious charges for allegedly refusing to stop when an officer attempted to pull her over, and then trying to hide from him. But to add to her troubles, she was very intoxicated at the time, with two little children in the car.
According to Milford Police Chief Thomas Lindberg, the woman was first spotted in Milford, where she was speeding. An officer clocked her doing 93 in a 50 mph zone. He attempted to stop her but she tore right past him. She didn’t even slow down.
The officer says that he saw her continue on down the road. Then it looked like she ran a red light. At this point she turned into the parking lot of the General Motors Proving Ground. She parked her car among others already there. Officers think that the woman felt she had lost the officer at this point. However, he was quickly able to locate her parked vehicle.
The woman was arrested and transported to the Oakland County Jail. According to Chief Lindberg, the woman’s BAC at the time of her arrest was 0.225. This is more than three times Michigan’s legal limit. It’s also well into the “super drunk” range.
Unfortunately, the woman’s children were in the vehicle with her at the time of arrest. This means that besides drunk driving charges, the woman is also facing child endangerment charges. The 1-year-old girl and 3-year-old boy were placed in the custody of a relative. The police have also notified CPS. That agency has now opened an abuse/neglect investigation.
Also in the vehicle was a 30-year-old man from Hartland Township. According to the arresting officer, he was also inebriated. Police say that he had a warrant out for his arrest in Livingston County. However, officers decided to admit him to the Huron Valley Sinai Hospital due to his level of intoxication, and pick him up when he was sober.
At the time of his admission to hospital, the man had a BAC of 0.42. This is just over five times the legal limit for Michigan’s drivers. Although he wasn’t driving at the time, and therefore cannot be charged with a DUI, officers did cite him for open intoxicants. Apparently he had an open bottle of vodka under his seat in the car.
The woman has been charged with drunk driving, fleeing and eluding police, and child endangerment. She has since been released from jail.
