It’s nearly a 7-hour drive from Edinburg north to Madison County. But if you were behind the wheel of a police car with its flashing lights, you might be able to make it there in a bit less time.
Law enforcement officials say a Madison County woman who had been arrested for driving while intoxicated managed to free herself and drive off with a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper’s patrol car. She now faces additional charges.
The Longview woman had been in a one-vehicle accident this past weekend. Afterwards, she was arrested, put in cuffs and placed in the front seat of a trooper’s car. She managed to slip the cuffs and drive away in the trooper’s vehicle while he was outside.
He then used a sheriff’s deputy’s car to pursue her for about three miles. The trooper reported firing at the vehicle in an effort to disable it.
No one was injured in the incident, a news report stated.
As you probably know, the penalties for DWI in Texas are harsh. A conviction for a first offense can result in 3 to 180 days in jail, plus a fine of up to $2,000 and the loss of your driver’s license for up a year. And an annual license-retention fee of up to $2,000 can be added for three years.
The penalties for a second offense are even stiffer: jail time ranges from one month to one year; the loss of your driver’s license can be up to two years; you can receive a fine of up to $4,000; and an annual fee of from $1,000 to $2,000 for license retention is imposed for three years.
Facing those penalties? In Edinburg, you can speak with an experienced criminal defense attorney at the Sanchez Law Firm.