A Ruston woman was arrested Saturday evening after authorities say she was driving under the influence with her 7-year-old child in the vehicle and in possession of multiple narcotics.
According to Louisiana State Police, a trooper responded to a call for assistance from the Minden Police Department near the intersection of LA 159 and McArthur Drive at approximately 6:58 PM on March 15. An officer at the scene reported that the driver had been observed operating her vehicle on the sidewalk and nearly striking a pole.
The driver, identified as Morgan Teekell, 40, exhibited slow, slurred speech and droopy eyes, leading officers to believe she was under the influence of a substance other than alcohol. She performed poorly on standardized field sobriety tests and was taken into custody for DWI.
Authorities stated that Teekell’s 7-year-old son told officers she had handed him a pill bottle before being stopped. Upon inspection, the bottle contained multiple controlled substances, including Schedule II, III, and IV narcotics.
Teekell has a prior DWI conviction from Bienville Parish in 2022. She was booked on charges of second-offense DWI with child endangerment, possession of Schedule II, III, and IV narcotics, illegal possession of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a minor, and careless operation.
All subjects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.