Woman held on $25,000 bond in alleged DWI case
A 24-year-old Lowell woman is being held in the Gaston County Jail on ,000 bond after allegedly driving drunk with a child in her vehicle. Gaston police claim the woman was driving a Ford Escape that struck two other vehicles Friday night. Police claim the Lowell woman got out of her Ford at some point after the alleged collisions and argued with one of the other drivers before leaving the area.
Gaston police say they learned the woman’s license plate number. Officers later appeared at the woman’s home and claim they smelled the odor of alcohol. Law enforcement says the woman’s car showed signs of damage. The woman was taken into custody at her home on suspicion of driving while impaired. Ultimately, the woman faces a string of charges related to the allegations.
At some point after the three car accident, police say witnesses called 911. Law enforcement says the witnesses said it looked like someone else was in the car at the time of the traffic accident. The Gaston Gazette says in a newspaper article that police determined the woman had a child in her car at the accident scene; however, the news report does not indicate what evidence police used to come to that conclusion.
When law enforcement took the woman into custody at her home, they say the woman resisted arrest. The woman faces charges of DWI, resisting arrest, child abuse, two counts of hit and run, reckless driving, no liability insurance and expired registration.
This blog reported in August that allegations of drunk driving with a child in the car become much more severe beginning in December. State law makes DWI with a child aboard a Level One DWI offense in North Carolina. That new law does not apply to allegations that occur prior to the December 1 effective date of the change in the law.
Source: The Gaston Gazette, “Police: Drunken driver hits two cars then flees with child in backseat,” Diane Turbyfill, Oct 23, 2011