A young mother of three, from Jamison, Bucks County, was sentenced to up to six months in jail for driving her children to their elementary school while under the influence of alcohol, as reported by the Times Herald.
H.A.C., had just dropped off her young children, aged 6, 7 and 8, at E M Crouthamel Elementary School on September 22, when she tested twice the legal driving limit of 0.08 percent – H.A.C. blood alcohol was 0.188 percent.
According to court papers, police were alerted to her condition as H.A.C had been involved in a minor traffic collision before she made it over to the school that morning.
H.A.C. pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and three counts of endangering other persons – the other persons were her children. She has also been ordered, by Judge Steven T. O’Neill, to complete two years of probation after she serves her jail time, attend parenting classes and to undergo treatment for addiction.
Court papers also show that officials from the county’s Office of Children and Youth Services are involved in the supervision of H.A.C.’s children.
The criminal complaint states that H.A.C., while driving on South School Lane at approximately 7:44 a.m., struck a parked vehicle. H.A.C. stopped to notify the owner of the car but then claimed that she was too late for work to remain at the scene.
Police apprehended H.A.C. in the upper parking log of her children’s school following the accident. Witnesses reported that she appeared to be checking her car for damages.
Souderton Police Officer David L. Gale said in his arrest affidavit, “The van was heavily damaged on the front passenger side. (H.A.C.) stated that she was in fact operating the van and was taking her three children to the school.”
H.A.C told police that the traffic accident occurred because another vehicle came up close behind hers, and then rear-ended her car on the driver’s side bumper. The sudden action caused her to swerve and strike the parked vehicle.
According to the arrest affidavit H.A.C. notified the owner of the car she had driven into but then “left because she needed to get her children to school and she needed to get to work.”
While taking their report, police detected the aroma of alcohol on H.A.C.’s breath and took her into custody for a suspicion of DUI.
A blood test was administered and determined that her blood-alcohol content was 0.188 percent. Besides the alcohol, also found in the test were trace amounts of marijuana, cocaine and Methadone.
H.A.C. admitted, by pleading guilty to the reckless endangerment charges, that she was recklessly engaged in conduct that put all three of her children in both danger of serious bodily injury, and, death.
If you are facing charges for DUI, OUI, OWI or OUI, contact a DUI attorney as soon as possible to gain assistance with a strong defense. Jail time isn’t the only option in some cases.