Multiple Arrests in Pierce County
Authorities in Pierce County, Washington, have apprehended a woman several times this month for operating a vehicle while under the influence of whippets, commonly known as laughing gas.
Prosecutors issued two $50,000 DUI warrants for her arrest on Monday, labeling her “a high-risk danger to the community” following a series of incidents involving whippets. The 46-year-old suspect’s identity has not been disclosed by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.
Whippets are filled with nitrous oxide and can be used recreationally as a sedative that produces hallucinogenic and euphoric effects, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The woman’s initial arrest occurred on November 12 when deputies discovered her inhaling whippets in the backseat of her running car while not wearing pants. She was charged with physical control due to her ability to drive.
On November 15, she crashed into a power box in Fircrest, Washington, causing significant damage and totaling her vehicle, which was filled with whippet cans. The Fircrest Police Department subsequently arrested her for DUI and first-degree malicious mischief.
A witness reported seeing her slumped over in her car surrounded by used whippet cans on November 20. Deputies arrested her again on probable cause for DUI before she could leave the parking lot where she was found.
The woman managed to return to driving within 24 hours after posting bail from previous arrests. The sheriff’s office requested that prosecutors keep her detained due to ongoing concerns about public safety.
This past Sunday, she was involved in another accident where she totaled her car after colliding with a parked vehicle that subsequently hit another car in Tacoma. Following this incident, new warrants were issued leading to yet another arrest.
The moral of this story: Inhalants can be highly addictive and pose serious dangers. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please seek help.
