An elderly woman in Bluffton, South Carolina, is facing a DUI charge after allegedly crashing into a patrol car while driving the wrong way. She had, according to the police, fallen asleep behind the wheel.
As reported by The Island Packet, the incident occurred at around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5. Bluffton Police Department (BPD) officers responded to the intersection of Buckwalter Parkway and Lake Point Drive to find several vehicles pulled to the side of the road.
An incident report cited by the outlet detailed that one responding officer noticed that a 2026 Mercedes sedan was traveling at 5 mph. The driver, a 67-year-old unnamed woman, was allegedly driving the wrong way.
A dangerous situation, one police officer drove past the Mercedes in an effort to prevent a head-on collision. Another officer then attempted to catch the driver’s attention with his horn, but what he saw made the situation worse.
Woman Unconscious
The officer who honked his horn, to no avail, later joined the driver’s direction to further catch her attention. He, however, noticed that the woman allegedly had her “head back against the headrest” with both hands on the steering wheel. As per the police, the elderly lady was unconscious at the time.
At one point, the report indicates that the Mercedes swerved to its left and hit the officer’s patrol car. Moments later, the car sped up, hit a road sign and pieces of landscaping, and eventually stopped on Discovery Drive, near a Kroger.
The only occupant, besides the 67-year-old woman, was her dog. As per the report, Beaufort County Animal Services got hold of the dog at the time for safekeeping.
Alleged Vodka Admission
Bluffton police officers approached the now-stopped vehicle, just blocks away from their headquarters. Immediately, they allegedly noticed a strong scent of alcohol coming from the woman.
While speaking with the responding officers, the woman struggled to keep herself awake and appeared “extremely disoriented,” police said. Furthermore, she allegedly admitted to drinking vodka. In her own words, as per the report, she drank more “than she should have.”
After failing her sobriety tests, the woman refused to take a breathalyzer test, the report alleged. Following state law, her license was immediately suspended.
Patrol Car Damaged, Woman Charged
BPD spokesperson Eydie Moody detailed that the patrol car suffered damage to its front passenger wheel and quarter panel. Fortunately, the officer was not injured as a result of the collision.
Meanwhile, the woman was placed under arrest. She was charged with driving under the influence, and The Island Packet reported, citing inmate records, that this was her first offence. It appears that the elderly lady will not be charged in connection with the collision.
The woman was released shortly after on a $992 personal recognizance bond. If convicted, she faces up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.