Alleged impaired mom found asleep at the wheel with two kids in the backseat

Windsor police cruiser at headquarters in Windsor, Ont., on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. (Melanie Kentner/CTV News Windsor)

Windsor police arrested two motorists for impaired driving in separate incidents over the weekend, including a mom with two small children in the backseat.

Officers were called to the intersection of George Avenue and St. Julien Avenue after reports of a suspected impaired driver shortly after 9 p.m. on Sunday.

Upon arrival, officers say they found a female driver in a black SUV who had fallen asleep at the wheel with her foot on the brake. Two young children, aged three years and nine months, were secured in the back seat.

The 31-year-old woman was arrested and charged with impaired operation of a motor vehicle and exceeding the legal blood alcohol concentration.

Police say her breath test registered over three times the legal limit of alcohol.

On Saturday, just after 6:30 p.m., police responded to a three-vehicle collision at the intersection of Alma Street and Balaclava Street in Amherstburg. Officers determined that a 30-year-old motorist struck a parked vehicle, causing a chain reaction that involved a third vehicle.

Police say the woman found to be impaired, with her blood alcohol concentration twice the legal limit. She was arrested and charged with impaired operation of a motor vehicle and exceeding the legal blood alcohol concentration.

There were no physical injuries reported in either incident.

The Windsor Police Service is reminding motorists to prioritize road safety by planning ahead and making the choice to not drive impaired this holiday season.

Police launched the annual Festive RIDE Campaign last week. It runs until Jan. 1, 2025.