When MOM Tries Nitrous Oxide For The First Time Turn into DUI

Report:
On July 7, 2023,
at approximately 1:30 am, Officer attached himself to another Officer's call regarding a wrong-way driver that was stopped near the intersection.

Officer Goodwin observed a vehicle exit from apartments entrance, drive over the curb, and then onto the oncoming lane of North Ave. On the vehicle, there was pre-existing front-end damage.

The suspect was identified as Sarah. She stated that she had been driving from Tucker (City in Gwinnett County) to her home. When asked about the damage to her vehicle, she was unsure of how it occurred. A bottle of "Galaxy Gas," which is a type of food additive that contains Nitrous Oxide (Normally something which is used as "Whippits" which individuals inhale the fumes to catch a high), was found in the vehicle. The suspect was asked if she had inhaled it, which she stated she had, and she began to cry and pace back and forth. She was asked if she consented to Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, to which she agreed.

STANDARDIZED FIELD SOBRIETY TESTS (Suspect stated (redacted), no glasses/contacts, and no previous leg injuries.)

1 Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (During this phase, Suspect's eyes would make huge and delayed jumps while tracking the stimulus.)
● Lack of smooth pursuit: both eyes.
● Distinct and sustained nystagmus and maximum deviation: Both eyes.
● Onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degrees: Did not observe

2. Walk and turn.
● Started too soon.
● Improper turn.

3. One leg stand.
Suspect was not able to fully complete this segment. During instructions would get heavily distracted by outside sources. After asking if she understood the phase of the SFST, she then attempted to do the walk and turn. I asked if she understood the directions, but she then went
toward the curb and put her head in her hands.

Suspect was then arrested for DUI-Multiple Substances-Less Safe (40-6-391 (a)(4)). She was also cited for the following: Failure to maintain lane (40-6-48), Reckless driving (40-6-390), and Vehicles to drive on right side of roadway (40-6-40). Her hands were placed behind her back with the handcuffs double locked.

Suspect was read Implied Consent for blood, to which she agreed. She was also read her Miranda Rights.

After both were read to her, Officer further asked about the time frame in which she had been driving. Suspect stated that she had a mixed drink about four hours ago, then started to drive home, went to Cloud 9 in downtown Athens to buy a vape, but instead bought the Gas Galaxy container, inhaled the fumes, and then was not able to recall what happened after that point. Officer asked if she had a bank statement on her phone that could provide a better exact time she had shopped at Cloud 9. Suspect allowed him to retrieve her phone and showed me a bank statement showing that the transaction at Cloud 9 occurred on June 30th. As officer asked further questions about the incident, she would frequently apologize for "f***ing up" and say she had been doing so well for the past five years.

The suspect was then transported to Piedmont for a blood test. After her blood was drawn, They returned to the patrol car and officers let her call some family and her son to let them know what was happening. During one of the calls, she states; "I f***ed up, I'm sorry. I blacked out, I don't know what the f*** my brain was (unintelligible)."

The suspect was transported from Piedmont to the Clarke County Jail without incident.

The Large can of "Galaxy Gas" and the blood test kit were entered into evidence under this case number.