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Shedding Light on DUI Drivers Who Shed Clothing

Posted by Aaron J. Wolff | Dec 16, 2014 | 0 Comments

Drinking too much alcohol has an impact on our ability to drive at peak performance.  Alcohol can reduce reaction times, reduce concentration, increase drowsiness, and make it more difficult to do several tasks at once. It can also affect overconfidence, which may lead to increased risk taking, resulting in someone deciding to drive when they otherwise might not. Risk taking may also manifest itself in other ways, such as drinking and driving, without bothering to put on clothes first.

A young woman was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) in Pierce County after she was observed driving the wrong way through traffic. At about 3 a.m. on a Saturday morning, the Fife Police Department received a 911 call about a driver going the wrong way on Highway 509. Police arrived to find a car weaving in and out of lanes along Pacific Highway in Milton, Washington. The police put on their lights and sirens to pull the driver over, but the car took off.

While in pursuit, police further observed the driver cross the center line, run a red light, and hit a curb which flattened two tires. Using a PIT maneuver, officers stopped the car, but the driver would not get out of the car. After smashing the driver's window to open the door, police discovered the woman was wearing nothing but her bra. 22-year-old Breyana Gallagher of University Place told police she thought she was in Kitsap County.

After being taken into custody, and brought to the Pierce County Jail, a female officer apparently tried to get her into a jumpsuit, which was refused. Sergeant Tom Thompson of the Fife Police Department called this case pretty extreme. “It's not every day you find someone naked driving down the street -- especially in the condition she was in.” She was charged with DUI and eluding police, to which she has pleaded not guilty. It is not clear whether she has hired a lawyer.

Although it may not seem common for drunk drivers to be busted au naturel, there are other cases of people arrested for a DUI in uncommon apparel. In Alabama, a man was arrested on DUI and drug charges after his car was stopped, where he was determined to be very unresponsive, and very naked. Christopher Robert Vaughn, 26, was spotted driving between the north and southbound lanes when he was pulled over. The officer reported Vaughn was unable to perform and complete any of the field sobriety tests. Police later found nine types of prescription medications “strewn about the interior of the vehicle,” with empty prescription bottles that did not have the driver's name on them.

In another uncomfortable incident, a man from Arlington, Virginia crashed his motorcycle into two cars, and then fled the scene on foot, all without the aid of clothing. Roland Hitchens, 42, was riding through Arlington when he crashed into the vehicles, which wrecked his motorcycle. Police found the man in a nearby wooded area, and took him to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He was charged with felony hit and run, indecent exposure, DUI, and driving with a revoked license.

About the Author

Aaron J. Wolff

A former DUI prosecutor, Aaron Wolff has over 18 years of experience in representing people accused of DUI and is recognized as one of the leading defense lawyers in Washington State. His relentless and passionate advocacy has lead to superb ratings and outstanding reviews from former clients.

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