A North Charleston woman is facing multiple charges after an officer pacing her SUV estimated it was going roughly 100 mph in a 60 mph zone on Interstate 26 early Friday morning, then she blew a blood alcohol concentration more than twice the legal limit. Officers say 42-year-old Kadeshia Elaine Campbell told them she was speeding because she needed to use the restroom but had missed her exit.
According to Live 5 News, North Charleston Police Department officers were patrolling westbound I-26 near Remount Road around 2:15 a.m. when they spotted an SUV moving at a high rate of speed. An officer reported that the driver repeatedly failed to maintain her lane, and while pacing the vehicle, estimated its speed at approximately 100 mph in the posted 60 mph zone.
Smell of Alcohol and a Cup of Scotch
Officers said they initiated the stop and reported smelling alcohol coming from the vehicle. They also reported seeing a small glass cup holder near the driver that appeared to contain scotch, the outlet's report states. Campbell reportedly told officers she had consumed a couple of drinks earlier, and police said she was slurring her words as she explained the bathroom emergency that led to the high-speed drive.
Police said that when Campbell was asked to exit the vehicle, she stumbled and appeared significantly off balance. She agreed to perform standardized field sobriety tests, and officers determined that her ability to operate a vehicle had been materially and appreciably impaired by alcohol and/or drugs, according to police.
Breath Test Results and Charges Filed
Campbell agreed to provide a breath sample, which reportedly registered a 0.18% blood alcohol concentration — more than twice the legal limit, per the report. She now faces charges of driving under the influence, open container of beer, open container of liquor, speeding 25 mph or more over the posted limit, and failure to maintain lane. Campbell was taken to the Al Cannon Detention Center following her arrest.
The dossier underlying this report does not indicate how the case has since moved through the courts, including any plea or conviction. Impaired driving remains a documented public safety concern statewide: a federal crash-data report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration noted that South Carolina was among the states with the highest alcohol-impaired-driving fatality percentages in 2022, tied with Rhode Island at 43%.
