Alachua woman charged with DUI after allegedly hitting child on bike
BY JENNIFER CABRERA
ALACHUA, Fla. – Patricia June Baldwin, 33, was arrested yesterday and charged with driving under the influence after she allegedly hit a child on a bicycle in Alachua. A spokesman for Alachua Police Department told us that the child had minor injuries.
An Alachua Police Department officer responded to the scene of the crash, near the intersection of NW 151st Place and NW 134th Terrace, at about 5:30 p.m. and reported that he smelled alcohol on Baldwin’s breath. Baldwin reportedly told the officer she’d had “about three beers” that afternoon. The officer reported that she slurred her words while speaking and had difficulty remembering her own phone number.
Baldwin reportedly performed poorly on field sobriety exercises and was placed under arrest for driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage.
After Baldwin was transported to the jail, she reportedly refused to provide a breath sample and spontaneously told the officer she would “blow drunk” if she took a breath test. The officer then charged her with refusal to submit to a breath test by a person whose license was previously suspended for refusal to submit to a breath test.
Baldwin has been released from jail.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Double trouble
DUI kills more innocent people than guns every year yet there is no demand to get rid of alcohol like there is guns. Instead of a slap on the wrist for DUI let’s put some real laws on the books 1st time 6 months in jail 2nd one a year 3rd 2 years. the state of Tennessee just passed a law that if you kill someone under the influence you pay child support to their children until they are 18 years old
That’s a false statement. But keep the NRA cheerleading.
Try using google before you speak
GH: I did refer to the Internet and you are incorrect in your statement. 2020, is the most recent year that includes deaths from firearms and drunk driving:
In 2020, the most recent year for which complete data is available, 45,222 people died from gun-related injuries in the U.S.
In 2020, 11,654 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers, accounting for 30% of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.
The death rate from firearms is 288% higher than deaths caused from drunk drivers.
Links with statical data:
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/02/03/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-u-s/
https://www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/impaired_driving/impaired-drv_factsheet.html#:~:text=In%202020%2C%2011%2C654%20people%20were,deaths%20in%20the%20United%20States.&text=This%20was%20a%2014.3%25%20increase,alcohol%2Dimpaired%20drivers%20in%202019.
The stats may not be are accurate in the statement above. On average 32 people die each day in alcohol related traffic crashes in the United States plus the millions of dollars in medical costs as a result of DUI crashes. Firearm stats are not accurate because they are lumped together to include suicide,, murder, accidental, law enforcement encounters, etc. But the overall issues with DUI is that society and the judicial system treat it like is like a mistake and a minor inconvenience. Case and point when a GPD was mowed down by a drunk driver several years ago all the guy got was a minor sentence and he gets to go on with life. That guy as well as other DUI offenders make a choice to drive impaired or high. The rules say that being impaired is no excuse for breaking the law. When someone is drunk and shoots and kills someone they are charged with murder or aggravated battery. DUI on the other hand is treated with citations, suspensions, and misdemeanor charges. Even DUI manslaughter is a crime without proper sentencing guidelines.
Bear9765: ???? “Firearm stats are not accurate because they are lumped together to include suicide,, murder, accidental, law enforcement encounters, etc” You could say the same about the accuracy of DUI deaths as they are “lumped together” with drunk drivers, sober drivers, solor drink drives, drunk passengers, sober passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists etc. A death involving alcohol or a firearm is death. However data is unbiased. In 2020, the most recent year for which complete data is available, 45,222 people died from gun-related injuries in the U.S.
In 2020, 11,654 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers, accounting for 30% of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.
The death rate from firearms is 288% higher than deaths caused from drunk drivers.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/02/03/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-u-s/
https://www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/impaired_driving/impaired-drv_factsheet.html#:~:text=In%202020%2C%2011%2C654%20people%20were,deaths%20in%20the%20United%20States.&text=This%20was%20a%2014.3%25%20increase,alcohol%2Dimpaired%20drivers%20in%202019.
You are quite wrong GH, I looked it up and firearms kill more than twice as many people as DUI’s.
In 2020, 11,654 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers, accounting for 30% of all traffic-related deaths in the United States.1 This was a 14.3% increase compared to the number of crash deaths involving alcohol-impaired drivers in 2019. https://www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/impaired_driving/impaired-drv_factsheet.html
45222 firearm related deaths in 2020. This includes suicides and unintentional deaths. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/firearms/fastfact.html
You can include suicides unintentional death you have to compare apples to apples
How many gun deaths are with STOLEN AGUNS? Solve shoplifting and stealing guns from cars, home burglaries, first. Then the rest of us won’t need to legally purchase.
“This is Harvey Ward’s fault….somehow.” —Average Alachua Chronicle reader
Lockdown and vaccine-induced alcohol abuse.
What happened to the child on the bike?
The power of reading comprehension.
Hopefully this thug will get the maximum sentence.
Unfortunely like other states the law are set up to make DUI a minor mistake even when someone is injured as a result. She has already been released from jail. Hopefully the child was not seriously injured. She made a choice to drive impaired and needs the max.
Alcohol and drugs reduce the ability to make a sober choice. It’s often too late.
She needs some serious jail time and a loss of her driver’s license for at least ten years maybe even permanent revocation!
This is her second DUI. She could have easily killed that child. She is already out of jail! That is sick!! If you refuse to take the breath test you should go to jail for a year! First time! So many innocent people are killed by drunk drivers! There is no good excuse for not nailing these people to the wall! Most of the DUI’s are repeat offenders because they get off easy! That is wrong!!
I don’t understand why drunk drivers who kill and/or injure people aren’t treated just like any other criminal who assaults or murders someone.
They choose to get drunk, then they choose to drive then when they kill or injury someone they’re almost “excused” because they were drunk. Makes no sense.
Is there a law enforcement test for VAxx induced driver disability yet?