Woman pulled over twice before hitting parked car

by police officers twice last week before being arrested after hitting a parked car in Port Washington has been charged in Ozaukee County Circuit Court with fifth-offense driving while under the influence of a controlled substance.

Sharon R. Garcia of Saukville was pulled over on North Wisconsin Street in Port around 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 29, after a driver who was following her reported she was straying into the oncoming lane of traffic and braking heavily for no apparent reason, according to the criminal complaint.

Garcia told police officer James Russell that she crossed the center line because she was trying to retrieve her cell phone. She also said her vehicle has steering problems and that she brakes every time she exceeds the speed limit by 3 mph.

Russell noticed that Garcia’s movements and speech were slow and that her eyes were droopy. She denied drinking alcohol but said she was taking several prescription medications, although none at the time that would affect her driving, the complaint states. 

She noted she is disabled due to a back condition and has problems with her right leg.

Garcia also told Russell that she was very recently pulled over in Saukville after police received a complaint about her driving and officers had to give her a ride home.

Russell issued her a citation for crossing the center line and let her go.

He did, however, follow her and noticed that she came to a stop on Wisconsin Street at Washington Street and remained there for some time despite the fact there are no stop signs.

Garcia eventually turned west onto Washington Street, and after a short time began driving in the eastbound lane. Russell reported that she nearly hit cars on both sides of the street before striking a parked vehicle, according to the complaint.

Russell pulled Garcia over again and told her that he no longer believed she could safely drive. 

Garcia had trouble holding her head up during field sobriety tests and exhibited a lack of coordination, which the officer believed was due to her taking too much prescription medication and her disability, the complaint states.

She has been released from jail in lieu of $1,000 bail and was ordered by Ozaukee County Circuit Judge Sandy Williams not to drive while her case is pending and not to enter any establishments that sell intoxicants.