KENT ISLAND, Md.– The Queen Anne's County Office of the Sheriff arrested a driver for an alleged impaired driving incident which resulted in damage to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge's eastbound span.
The Sheriff's Office says an off-duty police officer reported a vehicle failing to maintain its lane and striking guardrails multiple times around 12:16 a.m. on May 29.
Officials say the officer, in an unmarked vehicle, activated emergency lights to create distance between traffic and the reported driver until a sheriff's deputy could stop the vehicle after the bridge.
Deputies noted signs of impairment upon making contact with the vehicle's driver, identified as 33-year-old Brenda Gonzales Martinez, of Columbia, and a child passenger, according to a press release.
The driver reportedly refused Standardized Field Sobriety Testing and was placed under arrest, with the child passenger released to a sober adult.
Gonzales Martinez faces the following charges:
- DUI
- DWI
- Driving Vehicle While so Far Impaired by Drugs or Alcohol Cannot Drive Safely
- Driving Vehicle While Impaired by Alcohol While Transporting a Minor
- Driving Vehicle While Impaired by Drugs and Alcohol While Transporting a Minor
- DUI While Transporting a Minor
- Failure to Return to and Remain at Scene of Accident Involving Attended Vehicle Damage or Property
- Failure to Control Vehicle Speed on Highway to Avoid Collision
- Negligent Driving
- Reckless Driving
- Driver Failure to Obey Properly Placed Traffic Control Device Instructions
- Driver Changing Lanes When Unsafe
