Wauwatosa woman told police she drank Listerine 'shots' before allegedly driving over elderly pedestrian
Wisconsin Court System WAUWATOSA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A Wauwatosa woman faces felony charges after prosecutors say she drove over an 80-year-old pedestrian while intoxicated, telling police she had been drinking Listerine "shots" earlier in the day.
Marlen Espinoza, 38, was charged Monday, Feb. 16 in connection with a Friday, Feb. 13 crash at 68th and Wells, according to a criminal complaint. Espinoza was driving her son, who is 12, to McDonald's when she turned and struck a pedestrian crossing in a crosswalk, officials say.
Witnesses told police both passenger-side tires drove over the victim.
Espinoza initially denied drinking that day, telling police she takes several prescription medications, according to the complaint. When officers detected an odor of alcohol on her breath, she said she had drunk Listerine "shots."
She reportedly performed poorly on field sobriety tests and blew a .11 blood alcohol concentration on an evidentiary test.
The victim, who was the last of six people crossing the street, suffered a fractured pelvis, a fractured right fibula and possible internal bleeding. She told investigators she tried to put her hand out to stop the car before it hit her.
Espinoza faces four felony charges: two counts of injury by intoxicated use of a vehicle causing great bodily harm, one count of operating while intoxicated causing injury with a minor in the vehicle and one count of operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration causing injury with a minor in the vehicle.
