Harris County deputies say a Sunday traffic stop on Will Clayton Parkway ended with a wrong-way driver in handcuffs and a child in the back seat.
Authorities identified the driver as 36-year-old Monica Smith. Deputies allege she was headed the wrong direction on the roadway and showed multiple signs of intoxication during the stop. Smith was given standardized field sobriety tests, then taken into custody and booked into the Harris County Jail. The 174th District Court set her bond at $1,500.
Stop and arrest
In a Facebook update, Harris County Constable Precinct 4 reported that deputies stopped Smith in the 11900 block of Will Clayton Parkway and discovered a child passenger in the vehicle.
According to the post, deputies administered standardized field sobriety tests at the scene and determined that Smith was intoxicated. She was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated with a child passenger, then booked into the Harris County Jail. The post notes that the 174th District Court set her bond at $1,500.
State law and possible child-welfare follow-up
Under Texas law, driving while intoxicated with a passenger younger than 15 is a state jail felony that can bring 180 days to two years behind bars and fines up to $10,000, per the Texas Penal Code, specifically § 49.045.
The incident can also trigger a separate child-welfare review. The definition of neglect appears in § 261.001 of the Texas Family Code, and any involvement by the Department of Family and Protective Services would move on its own track, independent of the criminal case.
A recurring stretch for enforcement
Constable Mark Herman’s office has recently highlighted several traffic-enforcement efforts along the Will Clayton Parkway corridor, including prior DWI stops and arrests. Hoodline has also covered a DWI on Will Clayton Parkway, pointing to frequent patrols and repeated activity on that stretch of road.
What’s next
Smith remains in custody while the 174th District Court schedules hearings and prosecutors review the case, according to Harris County Constable Precinct 4. Smith, like all individuals charged with a crime, is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
