Pregnant woman caught driving under influence 11 days before due date, Oklahoma cops say

A pregnant woman driving in the dark without her lights on passed through a red light, then was pulled over by an Oklahoma police officer, authorities said.

The officer said it was “immediately obvious” she was pregnant and asked when she was due, according to a report from the Oklahoma City Police Department. She replied Feb. 1 — 11 days after she was pulled over on Jan. 21.

“As I was speaking with (her) I began to observe signs of impairment,” the officer reported. “(Her) eyes were red/watery and she would ‘space out’ when I was speaking with her. (Her) response time was delayed and her breath was also rancid.”

The woman admitted she had smoked a blunt about two hours before the traffic stop, according to the report.

Because she was “far into her pregnancy,” the officer had her stay seated for a field sobriety test, authorities said.

The officer believed she was under the influence of a drug, potentially Phencyclidine, also referred to as PCP, according to the report. She was arrested at 2:20 a.m.

The woman told authorities, “I can’t believe I’m pregnant and I’m going to jail,” police said, and added she wasn’t aware that smoking marijuana could be harmful to her unborn baby. She said she continued to smoke marijuana because it helped her eat, according to police.

She was taken to a hospital, where she was treated and released by medical staff, officials said. She was then booked in the Oklahoma County Detention Center on several charges, including driving under the influence and child abuse by injury.

This story was originally published January 24, 2023 at 7:56 AM with the headline "Pregnant woman caught driving under influence 11 days before due date, Oklahoma cops say."