Around 8:22pm, officers were sent a BOL over the radio for a possible intoxicated driver in a white SUV leaving Drone’s at 410 N Tekoppel. The 911 caller reported that the subjects were inside the store stumbling around and left in a white Kia SUV. The vehicle was last seen driving through yards according to the caller.
Shortly after, officers were dispatched to the 1500 block of Harmony Way for an accident with unknown injuries. Upon arrival, officers observed a single car crash that had struck a telephone pole. Officers spoke with a witness, who said he was following the car northbound on Harmony and had recorded the vehicle swerving all over the road and crash into the telephone pole. The witness said the car was not maintaining it’s lane and that he thought the driver was intoxicated.
Officers approached the wrecked vehicle and spoke with the driver, Andrea Shaffer. Another subject, Daniel Sherretz was in the passenger seat, and a female juvenile was in the back seat. Both Shaffer and Sherretz told officers that they had been taking care of the juvenile for the past two months since the juvenile’s parents were unable to do so. Shaffer was read her Miranda rights and chose not to speak further with officers.
During standard field sobriety tests, Shaffer was unable to complete the tests and was arrested for OMVWI. When conducting a search incident to arrest, officers discovered four alprazolam pills on Shaffer`s person. While at the hospital awaiting jail clearance, Shaffer refused a chemical test.
Shaffer faces charges of OMVWI, OMVWI-Refusal, possession of a schedule IV substance, and neglect of a dependent. Sherretz also faces the charge of neglect of a dependent. The juvenile was taken to the hospital for evaluation and released to DCS.
EPD, EFD, & AMR were the responding agencies.