R.I. woman allegedly drove 5 children while three times over legal limit
She tried to flee as officers confronted her, according to police.
A Woonsocket, Rhode Island, woman drove five children while she was three times over the legal limit as she left Lincoln Woods State Park Wednesday, police allege.Leah Beatriz Duran, 41, was arrested by Rhode Island State Police after beach staff told park police a woman, who was potentially under the influence, was preparing to leave the Lincoln, Rhode Island, park in a minivan filled with five children, ages 7 months to 10 years old, state police said in a press release Thursday.Duran tried to flee officers from the Department of Environmental Management when they confronted her, according to police, who said she backed into one of the officer’s trucks as she attempted to leave.No one was injured in the crash.Two breathalyzer tests indicated Duran’s blood alcohol content (BAC) was .279 and .277 — notably higher than Rhode Island’s legal limit of .08, according to police.The children were placed in the care of relatives and the state Department of Children, Youth, and Families was notified of the case, authorities said.Duran faces charges of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor or drugs, first offense, with a BAC level of .15 or greater and with a child under the age of thirteen and driving with a suspended/revoked/canceled license, police said.Three citations were also issued for operating a motor vehicle without evidence of insurance, failure to maintain reasonable and prudent speeds, and license to be carried/exhibited on demand, according to the release.Duran, who was arrested Wednesday afternoon at the park, was processed at Lincoln Woods Barracks and was released ahead of her scheduled appearance in Third Division District Court on July 24, police said.
