Ocala, FL : Mother arrested, charged with DUI, child neglect in Ocala crash on April 28th 2014

A woman who crashed her car into a tree Saturday night was arrested and charged with drunken driving and two counts of child neglect, according to Ocala police.

Police said Erica Ann Peluso, 28, was driving southbound on Southwest 27th Avenue and attempted to turn to the eastbound lanes of Southwest 10th Street.

According to police, Peluso turned onto the westbound lanes, putting her car on the wrong side of the road. They said she then hit a tree in the median, doing extensive damage to the front end of her car.

According to police, When officers arrived a witness was holding a 2-year-old child who had a small laceration on his forehead. The witness told police that the 2-year-old was sitting on Peluso's lap when the crash happened.

Police said Peluso was trying to get a 6-year-old child out of a car seat. That child had a head injury that was bleeding.

Police said Peluso refused medical care for the 6-year old when emergency responders said the child needed it.

Police said Peluso smelled of alcohol and after a DUI investigation she was arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail. They said her breath alcohol tests at the jail came back as .206 percent and .257 percent. The legal limit in Florida is .08 percent.

Police said Peluso's 6-year-old child was taken to a hospital for treatment of his injury.

The children were turned over to the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Peluso has bonded out of jail.

Source :
Mother arrested, charged with DUI, child neglect in Ocala crash