DUI Charge For Westport Woman Asleep In Running Car In Roadway

WESTPORT, CT — A 66-year-old Westport woman was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence on Nov. 16 after she was found asleep at the wheel of a running vehicle that was stopped in the middle of the Post Road East, according to Westport police.

While patrolling at about 12:30 a.m., a Westport officer spotted a vehicle stopped in one of the westbound lanes on the Post Road East.

"It was apparent that the vehicle's operator was slumped over the wheel and apparently was asleep," police said in a statement. "The officer approached the vehicle and observed that its transmission was still in drive. He was able to safely shift the gears of the vehicle into park. This woke the operator, who was subsequently identified as Katherine Kokell."

The officer "reportedly detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage on Kokell's breath" and had her perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, which she failed, according to police.

Kokell was taken into custody and charged. She was released after posting bond of $500 and is scheduled to appear in Norwalk Superior Court on Nov. 25.