Mom Arrested for DUI With Child After Open Vodka Found

A 39-year-old mother was arrested for driving under the influence with her 4-year-old child in the vehicle after Stuart Police officers discovered multiple open vodka bottles during a traffic stop on September 28, 2025. The incident began when an officer clocked a white Mercedes traveling 58 mph in a 45 mph zone on US-1 in Martin County, Florida during heavy rain.

The driver initially claimed she was rushing her son to the emergency room because he couldn't breathe, but quickly changed her story to say her father was having a stroke. She told officers she was a nurse and had attended police academy, claiming her mother was following behind, though no one arrived. Officers observed suspicious behavior including the driver repeatedly turning the steering wheel while the vehicle was parked.

Upon searching the vehicle, officers found three open bottles of Smirnoff Pink Lemonade vodka: one in the driver's door panel, one on the floorboard, and another in the back seat near the child. Records showed the woman's driver's license was already suspended due to a prior refusal to submit to a breath test.

At the jail, the suspect initially agreed to take a breath test but then claimed she was unable to complete it due to multiple medical conditions including bronchitis, laryngitis, breast cancer, a heart murmur, angina, broken ribs, and a permanent retainer. She told officers she was willing to take the test but was not able to provide a sufficient sample.

The woman faces charges related to driving under the influence with a minor present and driving with a suspended license.