State police allege a woman was under the influence of multiple unprescribed drugs, including methadone and methamphetamine, last month when she drove into a row of shopping carts and seriously injured a Walmart employee in East Huntingdon.
Ronalee M. Bailey, 40, of Mt. Pleasant was arraigned this week before District Judge Charles Moore on three counts of driving under the influence of a controlled substance and single counts of aggravated assault by vehicle and reckless driving following the Dec. 6 crash in the parking lot.
Trooper Bradley Ditzler reported in court documents that when he arrived at the scene about 11 p.m. at the Summit Ridge Plaza, “Bailey appeared to be asleep with her head resting on the steering wheel.”
Ditzler reported that Bailey also had an 8-year-old girl in the front seat of her car.
When the trooper woke the driver by knocking on the driver’s window, Ditzler said “Bailey’s speech was slurred and rapid” and she denied being under the influence of any alcohol or drugs.
Ditzler said the female victim had already been taken by ambulance to Forbes Hospital in Monroeville for treatment of multiple injuries, including a fractured nose and back.
Ditzler reported that Bailey was arrested and taken to Excela Frick Hospital in Mt. Pleasant for blood toxicology tests.
Bailey was released on recognizance bond pending a preliminary hearing Jan. 23.
Paul Peirce is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Paul at 724-850-2860, ppeirce@tribweb.com or via Twitter @ppeirce_trib.
