Hope Farley

MUDDY CREEK TWP — A woman is accused of drunken driving at 80 mph with her 5-year-old child in the back seat of a car that had suspected marijuana in it, authorities said.

State police arrested Hope Farley, 45, of Butler Township about 7 p.m. Sunday on Route 422 at the Route 528 off-ramp in Muddy Creek Township.

She was arraigned Monday on criminal charges of child endangerment, driving under the influence and possession of a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

She is free on her own recognizance.

Trooper Philip Treadway was conducting a speed enforcement operation using hand-held radar on Route 422 east at the South Shore on-ramp when he caught Farley's car traveling well over the 55 mph limit, according to court documents.

Treadway subsequently pulled over the defendant, but not before she changed lanes without signaling and crossed over the white fog line.

The trooper noticed the young child in the right rear passenger seat, documents said, and the smell of alcohol coming from Farley.

She denied having consumed alcohol, police said. But during field sobriety tests, she allegedly showed signs of impairment.

Farley later refused to submit to a breathalyzer test at the police barracks.

A search of the car turned up suspected marijuana and a marijuana pipe.

In addition to the criminal charges, she faces several traffic violations, including speeding, careless driving, disregarding traffic lanes and not using turn signals.

A preliminary hearing for Farley is set for Jan. 16 at the office of District Judge Bill O'Donnell in Slippery Rock.