A late-night drive on Pittsburgh’s Route 28 allegedly turned into a 117-mph DUI stop, with two very young girls in the back seat and one not properly restrained. Pennsylvania State Police say the driver was high on marijuana while blowing past a 55-mph speed limit by 62 mph.
According to CBS News Pittsburgh, 27-year-old Destiny Fields was pulled over shortly after 11 p.m. Monday near Powers Run Road in O’Hara Township after troopers clocked a Hyundai Sonata at 117 mph. Court paperwork says a 20-month-old girl and a 4-year-old girl were in the back seat.
Troopers said they smelled a strong odor of burnt marijuana and saw a cloud of smoke inside the vehicle. Police also reported finding multiple burnt marijuana roaches in an ashtray and empty marijuana dispensary packages in the center console.
The 4-year-old was not in a car seat, police said. An adult passenger told troopers they were heading home to put the children to bed and put away groceries, an explanation investigators noted did not account for the extreme speed.
Fields allegedly did not pass field sobriety testing. She is facing charges including endangering the welfare of children, recklessly endangering another person, DUI and possessing marijuana, according to CBS News Pittsburgh.
Preliminary Hearing Set For August 17
Fields’ preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 17, according to court records. The charges are allegations, and Fields is presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove the case in court.
Another Route 28 Stop Involved A Child And Marijuana
The allegations echo a 2023 Route 28 traffic stop involving another Pittsburgh-area driver and a child passenger. CBS News Pittsburgh reported that troopers stopped Mary Slattery after police said she was driving 87 mph in a 55-mph zone, smelled marijuana and found her 3-year-old improperly restrained.
The latest case also comes after Pennsylvania State Police reported 303 DUI arrests during its July 3-5 holiday enforcement period statewide. That same report listed 97 citations for failing to secure children in safety seats, according to the Pennsylvania State Police.
