Deputies arrest 'dramatically drunk' woman driving with suspended license with 5-year-old passenger

MILWAUKEE COUNTY -- Milwaukee County sheriff's deputies on Tuesday night, July 24 arrested a Franksville woman for OWI, fourth offense, with a 5-year-old passenger. Additionally, sheriff's officials said her license was suspended.

It happened around 11:30 p.m., when deputies responded to a report of a possible drunk driver "all over the road," headed eastbound on I-94 at the county line. A citizen was able to provide updates on the driver's location, and noted the vehicle exited I-43 at Highway 100 southbound.

A traffic stop was initiated, and deputies learned the Franksville woman, 33, had a suspended license and a 5-year-old in a car seat in the back of her vehicle. She said she was coming from a friend's house and had a glass of wine an hour prior. She performed poorly on standardized field sobriety tests and tested a .19 on a preliminary breath test. Deputies found one empty 500 milliliter box of wine and three empty 15 milliliter vodka bottles inside the vehicle.

She was arrested for OWI, fourth offense with a passenger under the age of 16, and cited for operating while suspended, operating with suspended registration plates and unsafe lane deviation.

Her prior OWI convictions occurred in June 2007, November 2008 and April 2015.

The child was taken to the patrol substation to wait for Child Protective Services from Racine County.

“This woman was dramatically drunk, driving without a valid license and endangering the young child in the car. This is not OK! Thankfully, a citizen called 911, and a deputy was able to stop the craziness before a tragic crash occurred. There is help available for addictions. People need to get that help, or risk going to jail. Enough!" said Acting Sheriff Richard Schmidt.