Mother accused of DUI with kids in back seat

DENVER (KDVR) — A woman was arrested over the weekend when deputies say she was driving under the influence with her two young kids in the back seat.

At about 3 p.m. Friday, a 911 caller reported a vehicle “weaving erratically” before crashing near Jaguar Point and McArthur Ranch Road, the Douglas County Sheriff’s office said in a post .

“The driver reportedly attempted to leave the scene by ramming the victim’s car to push it out of the way,” the sheriff’s office said.

According to the sheriff’s office, the deputy who stopped the driver alleged that she appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or both and noticed an “overwhelming odor of alcohol,” as well as slurred speech and the inability to stand on her own.

The driver, a 40-year-old woman, was unable to complete a roadside sobriety test, according to the sheriff’s office. A preliminary breath test indicated that she had a blood alcohol content of .334, which is over four times the legal limit of .08.

“Driving impaired is reckless enough, but doing so with young children in the car is beyond unacceptable. Thankfully, no one was injured, but it could have ended much worse,” Sheriff Darren Weekly said. “We will continue to make it a priority to take impaired drivers off the road.”

Five open alcoholic beverage containers were found in the vehicle, as well as a full bottle of wine, according to the sheriff’s office.

The woman was arrested on charges including:

• Driving under the influence
• Reckless driving
• Reckless endangerment
• Child abuse.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said it arrested 15 people for driving under the influence over Labor Day weekend.

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If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol or substance abuse, find resources from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website , call 800-662-45377, or text your zip code your zip code to 435748.
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