'Just trying to get home:' Woman found passed out with kids in back seat accused of driving drugged
Jacqueline Robinson
VILLAGE OF ROCHESTER -- Prosecutors say a Racine County mother found passed out behind the wheel with a 5-year-old girl and 2-year-old girl in her vehicle had fentanyl on her when a deputy found her vehicle stopped less than two miles from her home.
Three felonies and two misdemeanors were filed against Jacqueline Robinson, 30, of Rochester on Wednesday, Dec. 18:
A deputy found Robinson passed out behind the wheel shortly before 3 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 17 on State Highway 20. A criminal complaint said she was parked in the westbound lane "in an especially dangerous portion of the roadway" in the middle of a curve so drivers coming from behind wouldn't have time to avoid a crash. The brake lights were activated, a dome light was on, and loud music was coming from the vehicle.
The deputy said Robinson appeared to be passed out or sleeping, with her head resting against the window and door. The front windshield was smashed. The deputy was able to get the attention of the 5-year-old girl in the vehicle, who unlocked the front passenger door.
When this happened, the complaint said Robinson woke up, holding the 2-year-old child. When asked what happened, the complaint said Robinson replied, "I honestly..." At this point, the deputy noticed the vehicle was still in gear, so the deputy reached in and shifted it into park.
Prosecutors said Robinson indicated she had no idea what caused her windshield to shatter, and no idea where she was, despite the fact that she was about three minutes from home. She wasn't positive about how long she had been parked there, telling the deputy, "Maybe the last 30 minutes."
When asked when she didn't call for help, Robinson said she tried reaching out to a friend but he was at work, and didn't call 911 because "I was just trying to get home."
The deputy asked why the 2-year-old wasn't in a car seat, and Robinson said she had just gotten out and climbed on her lap, the complaint said.
The deputy noticed a piece of 2x4 on the woman's windshield and Robinson said she believed she hit something. When asked if she used drugs, she said, "Oh God, no. I work tonight." However, the complaint said when Robinson was searched, one gram of fentanyl was found in a coin purse. Additionally, a K-9 alerted on the vehicle, and a plastic straw with brown residue was recovered, along with folded up pieces of foil, and a metal lockbox containing an ID with Robinson's name on it from Racine Comprehensive Treatment Center -- similar to boxes used for methadone.
An investigation revealed the crash happened on Colony Avenue near Spring Street in Yorkville. Based on tire tracks, investigators determined Robinson was headed northbound on Colony when she decided to make a U0-turn which was too wide. She then struck a mailbox and post, and entered a yard, the complaint said.
A preliminary breath test revealed a result of .000. Robinson was arrested for OWI while drugged, and taken to the hospital for a blood draw.
Robinson made her initial appearance in court on Wednesday afternoon. She received a $2,000 signature bond, and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for Jan. 2.