Shannon R. Lang, the 29-year-old mother from Midland who was arrested for causing an accident while driving drunk with her baby in the car, has chosen to accept a plea offer.

The day before her trial was scheduled to begin, Lang appeared in the Bay County District Court before Judge Dawn A. Klida, and pled guilty to a single count of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated with a passenger 16 or younger.

Lang was initially facing three misdemeanor charges and had a BAC that was high enough to be charged under Michigan’s “super drunk” law. But since accepting the prosecution’s plea deal, she faces only a single misdemeanor that is punishable by up to a year in jail and a possible fine of $1,000 fine.

The incident that preceded the charges occurred at about 8 pm on Saturday, May 3rd. Lang was driving home after attending a wedding reception. According to police records, witnesses reported seeing her Dodge Caravan driving erratically on the US-10 near 11 Mile Road. Shortly thereafter, she lost control of the vehicle and the minivan veered off the road, rolled over, and caught fire.

Although emergency responders arrived quickly, concerned citizens were on hand sooner and assisted in getting the mother and her baby out of the burning car. The infant was unharmed, but Lang was transported to MidMichigan Medical Center in Midland where she was listed as being in critical condition and was treated for multiple broken bones and internal injuries.

Following the accident, Bay County Sheriff’s Lt. James Chlebowski told media that Lang was in “pretty bad shape”, but given the fact that her baby was not seriously injured and witnesses were on hand to provide assistance so that no one remained in the burning car, he said, “It could have been a lot worse.”

Lang’s sentencing is scheduled for November 26.