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Woman Calls 911 To Report Herself As Drunk Driver

Posted by samzenpus on from the right-thing-to-do dept.

49-year-old Mary Strey feels strongly about keeping drunk drivers off the road, so strongly in fact that she recently called 911 to report herself as one. The dispatcher told Mary to pull over, turn on her flashers and wait for the police. When officers arrived they gave her a field sobriety test which she failed. Mrs. Strey was arrested and was found to have a blood alcohol level of 0.17.

9 comments

  1. she called her self on it??? by mcfatboy93 · · Score: 1

    clearly she was not drunk enough

    --
    Its not my fault, someone put a wall in my way.
  2. Good for her... by natehoy · · Score: 3, Insightful

    OK, I know this is not going to be a popular opinion, but it seems to me that she had a serious lapse of judgment followed by an exercise in pretty good judgment. Even in an inebriated state, she recognized that she shouldn't be behind the wheel.

    Certainly, she could have handled it a lot better (not driving in the first place, pulling over somewhere safe and calling a cab instead, at least pulling over before she called police), but certain drinks have a cumulative effect that is not felt right away. She may well have left the final bar feeling relatively sober, then realized later that she was not even close. At least she didn't try to get the rest of the way home.

    She still deserves punishment, but some small recognition should be acknowledged that, in the end, she did the right thing. Or at least pretty close to it.

    --
    "This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
    1. Re:Good for her... by cowboy76Spain · · Score: 1

      In Spain, some years ago, I remember seeing the same news in TV news. The man realized he wasn't able to drive when he was in a highway, so the only thing left for him to do (*) was to call the police. The news didn't enter into details if he was prosecuted, but was I did understood is that, if any, the punishment was light (the police left the man at his house instead of in police station). The sensible thing to do, IMHO, because otherwise you just encourage people to try to go all the way even when they know they are drunk. (*) I don't know about other countries, but in Spain cars cannot stop in highways except for breakdown or similar accidents, so there was no way to get a cab and he could neither leave the car there.

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      Why can't /. have a rich-text editor? Editing your own HTML is so XXth century.
  3. call transcript by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Dispatch: You behind them?
    Mary Strey: No, I am them.
    D.: You am them? [sic]
    M.: Yes, I am them.
    D.: Okay, so you want to call and report you're driving drunk?
    M.: Yes.
    D.: Are you still driving right now? You want to stop driving before you get in an accident.
    M.: Yes, I will stop.
    D.: You want to stop right now.
    M.: Yes, I will stop right now.

    That dispatcher pulled a Jedi mind trick...

  4. What an idiot by ShooterNeo · · Score: 1

    Nowhere in law does it say you have to turn yourself in if you find yourself committing a crime. Heck, I think it's an ethically questionable decision.

    For one thing, by turning yourself in, you are giving control of yourself to a group of people who probably have much worse morals than you do. Unless you find yourself holding a smoking gun or having committed some other unforgivable crime, I think the ethically best choice is to NOT turn yourself in.

    She should have stopped driving, pulled into a parking lot, and got into the back of the car with the keys out of the ignition and stored in the glovebox or something. And slept it off. Or called a cab.

    Instead, even if she doesn't get jail time, she will almost certainly end up with a DWI conviction on her record. It's kind of hard for a defense attorney to beat a 911 tape like that.

    She'll have trouble getting a job due to the conviction for the rest of her life. Her family will suffer. Even if she never drinks and drives again.

    1. Re:What an idiot by Roland+Deschene · · Score: 1

      > She'll have trouble getting a job due to the conviction for the rest of her life.

      With good reason. I, for one, certainly would not want to hire anyone dumb enough to calls the cops on themselves.

    2. Re:What an idiot by IBBoard · · Score: 1

      Unless you find yourself holding a smoking gun or having committed some other unforgivable crime, I think the ethically best choice is to NOT turn yourself in.

      Who says holding a smoking gun is indicative of an unforgiveable crime? If the Church is to be believed then just about sin is forgiveable ;)

    3. Re:What an idiot by ShooterNeo · · Score: 1

      Well then you better a shovel, and THINK about location a little bit better than most...

  5. Using the phone while driving drunk by whitedsepdivine · · Score: 1

    I hope she got a ticket for using the phone while driving also. It just seems worst to call drunk while driving.