PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (EYT) – A Punxsutawney woman is facing three counts of child endangerment and DUI charges, stemming from an incident that occurred in the borough of Punxsutawney.
According to court documents, Punxsutawney Borough police arrested 30-year-old Kelsey M. Cregger of Punxsutawney following a traffic stop.
According to a criminal complaint, around 4:35 p.m. Nov. 22, while an officer was on patrol in a marked Punxsutawney Borough police car, he observed a maroon four-door car waiting to make a turn onto East Mahoning Street.
The vehicle had three children in the back seat, and he allegedly could see that one of the children was not in a child seatbelt. As a result, he activated his emergency lights to signal for the driver to pull over.
The criminal complaint states that as the officer spoke with the driver – identified as Kelsey M. Cregger – he allegedly noticed that her speech was thick and slurred. When the officer leaned into the vehicle, he allegedly could smell an intoxicating beverage. He then asked her if she had been drinking, and at first she said “no,” but when he asked her the second time, she allegedly admitted that she had been drinking.
The officer requested another to respond to the location and to bring the PBT (Preliminary Breath Test) as well. The officer also asked Cregger if she was on any medication that would impair her driving and she said “no.” She told him the children were ages 4, 3, and 2, the complaint states.
When she was asked to get out of the vehicle, she allegedly appeared to be concealing something with her purse. When the officer moved the purse, “he [allegedly] found a kitchen cup half full of a black liquid substance which smelled like pop and an alcoholic mixture,” the complaint indicates.
According to the complaint, Cregger allegedly failed the field sobriety tests, and the PBT test read above the legal limit. She was placed under arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol. An officer remained with the children until Cregger’s husband arrived.
Cregger agreed to a blood test and was taken to the Punxsutawney Hospital. After the blood draw, she was released to her husband, the complaint continues.
After the officer received the results of Cregger’s blood alcohol content, he filed a criminal complaint in Magisterial District Judge Douglas Robert Chambers’ office.
Cregger faces the following charges:
- DUI: Highest Rte of Alcohol (BAC .16+) 1st Offense, Misdemeanor
- Endangering Welfare of Children – Parent/Guardian/Other Commits Offense, Misdemeanor 1 (three counts)
- Improper Child Restraint System, Summary (two counts)
- Fail to use safety belt – driver and front seat occupant, Summary
- Restraint Systems – Child Booster Seat, Summary
- Restrictions on Alcoholic Beverages, Summary
- Operating Vehicle W/O Valid Inspection, Summary
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 19, 2016, with Chambers presiding.
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