Drivers arrested for DUI in Los Angeles (and elsewhere) often engage in bizarre actions that make them fodder for mockery in the blogosphere and, occasionally, the late night talk shows.
To wit, consider a rather bizarre case out of Chicago, where 26-year-old Maria E. Segura was arrested for two DUI, after she drove her Chevy Cavalier onto a bunch of railroad tracks near the 3300 Block of Harlem Avenue.
A police officer spotted her at around 4 in the morning on the Burlington Northern railroad tracks. After seeing the vehicle bizarrely start rolling down the tracks, the officer called his dispatch to shut down rail traffic, so that there wouldn’t be an awful collision. Then he drove up to the Cavalier and stopped the vehicle. The woman allegedly smelled strongly of alcohol, and she could barely articulate herself to the officer.
She was reportedly put through the paces of a field sobriety test – which might have included:
• The walk the line test (where you have to walk across a painted line… or the side of a railroad track… without losing your balance);
• The horizontal gaze nystagmus test (where an officer shines a light in your eyes to determine how your pupils respond to light);
• The count backwards by 3s test (where you try to count backwards from 100 by 3s – a test of your of cognitive impairment);
• The finger to the nose test (where you stick out your arms on either side, close your eyes, and try to touch your nose with your fingers — when you are under the influence, your ability to coordinate this act is undermined)
Segura told the officer that she had been looking for an ATM – a bizarre explanation, obviously. She was booked at a local station and tested to have a BAC level of 0.209 – more than 2.5 times the legal limit in Chicago and here in Southern California of 0.08 percent.
In addition to confiscating her 1996 Chevy Cavalier, authorities hit her with two DUI counts, a charge of driving without insurance, a charger of driving on a suspended license, and another charge of driving in the wrong lane.
Do you need help with your case? If so, contact a DUI defense lawyer with the Kraut Criminal & DUI Lawyers today to schedule a confidential and free consultation with our team.
Have you been stopped for DUI in Los Angeles, contact attorney Michael Kraut at (323) 464-6453 or online. Our team is located at 6255 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 1520, Los Angeles, California 90028.