Mugshot of Tricia Luke. Photo Credit: THE VIRGIN ISLANDS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
ST. THOMAS — A woman was arrested for driving drunk, without a license or insurance after reportedly trying to drive home while extremely intoxicated.
On Monday evening shortly after 7 p.m., police were alerted to a possible drunk driver operating a vehicle on Moravian Highway. Responding officers met a woman sitting in a chair at the location, but when she stood to meet them, they noticed that she was extremely unsteady on her feet.
The woman, identified as Tricia Luke, smelled strongly of alcohol, police say, her eyes red and watery and her speech slurred. She admitted to being the owner of the vehicle which was at the time stopped in the middle of the roadway, and reportedly told officers “all I want to do is go home.” She claimed to be capable of driving herself home.
Investigations found that she had been driving west in the eastbound lane.
Police say that Luke then staggered to her black Jeep Renegade, unable to keep her balance, and got inside. She complied with requests to exit the vehicle, at which time she was arrested and ultimately transported to the Traffic Investigation Bureau as roadside conditions were not conducive for the administration of the standardized field sobriety tests. Once at the station, two of the tests had to be abandoned because of Luke’s inability to complete them while the third was never attempted.
She was also unable to complete the chemical intoximeter test, and at that point she was charged with driving under the influence, operating a motor vehicle without a valid driver’s license, and operating an uninsured motor vehicle.
She was bailed out of jail for the sum of $1000, and appeared in court on Wednesday for her advice of rights hearing before Magistrate Paula Norkaitis. After learning of a serious mental health condition that rendered. Luke unable to participate in court proceedings, the matter was adjourned to October 2.
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