Woman accused of fourth DUI this year
CENTER TWP — Police accuse a Harrisville woman of committing her fourth DUI of the year after she crashed her car into a utility pole on Route 8 on Wednesday morning.
Melissa R. McKinney, 51, told police that the sun got in her eyes as she drove through the intersection of Route 8 and Mercer Road at about 11 a.m. , according to a criminal complaint filed by state Trooper Casey Fuller.
McKinney drove through the traffic light, “swerved past four to five cars” into the oncoming traffic, the complaint states, before swerving back to her right and into a pole.
She told police on scene that she wasn't hurt and refused treatment. Police then conducted field sobriety tests.
McKinney told police that she had consumed suboxone, a narcotic used as a pain killer and is used to wean opioid addicts off those drugs, and gabapentin, an anti-convulsant. Police found both drugs and two cans of dust cleaner that are commonly abused as an inhalant.
Her eyes were bloodshot, her voice raspy and speech slurred, the complaint states.
A blood draw was conducted and sent for testing.
In the criminal complaint, Fuller noted that Wednesday's arrest is McKinney's fourth DUI charge of the year. McKinney's prior DUI charges include driving under the influence of an inhalant.
This latest arrest comes with charges of DUI, unauthorized use of registration, driving uninsured, running a red light, driving on the wrong side of the roadway, illegally overtaking a vehicle and careless driving.
McKinney drove a white Ford Taurus. She was out of the vehicle when police arrived.
McKinney is in the Butler County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bond.
