Westport Woman Charged Again With DUI

A Westport woman has been charged twice with driving under the influence of alcohol within a week's time.

Patricia McMahon's arrest in Norwalk Tuesday followed her surrendering to Westport Police last week when she was charged by warrant with DUI for an incident in August.

On Tuesday, police were called to Stepping Stones Children's Museum, 303 West Ave., at 4:21 p.m. on a report of an intoxicated driver in the parking lot.

Sgt. James Boff said when officers arrived, museum staff said they found a woman apparently asleep in a car. They said when the banged on the car's window, the woman rolled down the window but didn't respond to offers of assistance.

They said they detected the smell of alcohol, Boff said. The woman then allegedly drove away, driving over a curb as she exited the lot.

Based on registration information, an officer located McMahon in her car at Stew Leonard's, 100 Westport Ave., Boff said. The officer reported McMahon had the smell of alcohol on her breath and failed field sobriety tests.

Boff said the officer found a bag in McMahon's car containing a bottle of Popov vodka.

McMahon was transported to police headquarters, where her blood alcohol content was measured at 0.224 and 0.216 percent, Boff said. In Connecticut, a driver is considered under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol content at or above 0.08 percent.

McMahon, 49, of 11 Danbury Ave, was charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. She was released on a promise to appear in court Oct. 25.

McMahon's warrant arrest in Westport last week was the result of an incident on Aug. 20 when an officer on patrol noticed a car parked halfway off the right side of the road on Julian Brodie Drive at Longshore Club Park.

The officer allegedly reported finding a woman -- later identified as McMahon --slouched over in the car's driver's seat with her eyes closed. After several attempts to wake her, she reportedly woke up and was asked several times to unlock her door. When she was asked what she had to drink, she replied, “vodka,” police said.

The officer allegedly was unable to conduct a field sobriety test bcause McMahon couldn't stand due to her intoxicated condition, so an arrest warrant was applied for and obtained.

Westport Police charged her with operating a motor vehicle while under the  influence of alcohol. She was released after posting a $5,000 bond and given a court date of Oct. 12.