Rome Mother Arrested After Drunk Driving Crash with Child Passenger

The Oneida County Sheriff's Office has announced the arrest of a Rome woman for crashing her vehicle while drunk. Officials say a 12-year-old child was a passenger in the car when the crash took place.

Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol says on Sunday at approximately 5:15 p.m. deputies responded to a property damage accident involving a motor vehicle on Gifford Road in the Town of Vernon. Upon arrival, deputies began their investigation and ultimately determined 32-year-old Michelle Malone of Rome backed into a field causing damage to her vehicle. Deputies say a 12-year-old child was a passenger in the vehicle during the time of the crash. Deputies say Malone was allegedly severely intoxicated. Her blood alcohol content, according to officials, was .26 which is more than three times the legal limit.

As a result of the investigation, Malone is facing a number of serious charges. Sheriff Maciol says Malone is facing the following charges.

• Driving While Intoxicated (common law)
• Driving While Intoxicated (0.08 or higher BAC)
• Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated (0.18 or higher BAC)
• Felony Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated (child less than 15 years of age in the vehicle, also known as "Leandra's Law")
• Endangering the Welfare of a Child (Class A Misdemeanor)
• Four separate traffic violations

Maciol says Malone was transported to the Kurt B. Wyman Law Enforcement Building for processing. She was arraigned and released on her own recognizance. An order of protection was issued on behalf of the 12-year-old and Child Protective Services was alerted. Maciol says there were luckily no injuries and the child was turned over to a sober relative.