Heroin Driver Falls Asleep at Wheel; Traffic Backs Up Behind Her Before Her Arrest

RACINE COUNTY, WI — Authorities in Racine County arrested a woman who had fallen asleep at the wheel - and had traffic back up behind her - only to find out she was feeling the effects of heroin use.

Just before 3:30 p.m. Friday, authorities took several calls reporting a reckless driver on I-94 driving south from highway G. According to police, the driver of the vehicle was swerving across all three lanes of traffic at times.

At one point, the driver was stopped at the intersection of the highway K south bound off ramp and highway K and appeared to be asleep behind the wheel and that traffic was backing up behind it.

The vehicle then started moving again and got back on the interstate south bound. Racine County Sheriff deputies located the car on south bound I-94 as it was exiting the interstate at highway KR. The vehicle was stopped after it went off the road way while trying to negotiate the off ramp and then got back on the roadway.

Upon initial contact with the female operator, the deputies observed drug paraphernalia in the car consistent with the use of heroin.

The operator stated that she was on her way to work on highway 20 and must have missed her exit and was just tired. A K9 squad from the Racine County Sheriff's office was also on scene and the K9 alerted to the odor of narcotics in the vehicle.
The driver then admitted that she uses drugs including heroin and that she had used heroin earlier in the day before driving.

The operator was then put through and failed field sobriety tests and was taken into custody for OWI 1 st . In the vehicle deputies located several bindles of heroin (totaling 6.5 grams), a pill bottle containing marijuana and several pieces of drug paraphernalia.

She is currently being held in the Racine County Jail and are forwarding the following charge recommendations to the Racine County District Attorney's office, who will determine formal charges:

• OWI 1 st
• Possession of Heroin with the intent to sell
• Possession of THC
• Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

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