Drunk Driver Hit 100 Miles-Per-Hour In Wrong Direction On Washington Highway, Police Say

That is one bad trip.

A 60-year-old woman allegedly drove nearly 18 miles at dangerously high speeds while heading north on the southbound side of Washington State's I-5 expressway early Tuesday morning, The Seattle Times reports.

Authorities with the Washington State Patrol say that Pamela Drawsby, an Olympia resident, was intoxicated on a combo of liquor and prescription drugs when her white Lincoln LS hit speeds approaching 100 miles-per-hour around 2 a.m., but miraculously did not cause a single collision.

"We had several near-miss head-on collisions," Washington State Patrol Trooper Guy Gill told SeattlePI. "It's amazing that we didn't have a collision at some point. Obviously no one going southbound is going to expect to see a vehicle coming northbound in their lane."

Rock Ingraham, who was on the road during the fiasco, narrowly cheated death when he moved out of the fast lane thanks to thoughtful drivers flashing their brights as a warning.

"It's probably a miracle if you ask me," Ingraham told KING-5. "No sooner did I do that did a white little sedan come flying by me."

Police arrested the reckless driver after stopping her car using a spike strip to puncture one of the tires.

Drawsby has no prior convictions. She is under investigation for driving under the influence.

Comments

[dbrett480]

01:54 PM on 02/02/2012

God watches over fools and drunks, and she was both.

[The road less traveled]

12:07 AM on 01/16/2012

You would think that if this person were a drinker, this would have happened before. Funny thing, it says she was intoxicated, but not that they found containers...there are medical conditions that mimic intoxication. I have no idea...it just seems odd that it would take 60 years for that to surface, if she were a diabetic with a very low blood sugar, that could have made her appear drunk, or a bad urinary tract infection in an older person could cause the same. It just seems strange. I have actually seen someone going down the wrong side of the interstate like that, very fast, ended up hitting someone head on, all of them had to be air lifted out, but the strange thing, she was not hurt, and you would have thought she was drunk... turns out her blood sugar was 20. She was confused because she took her insulin and was planning on being home to eat before it "kicked in", but then she ended up lost and before she knew it she was not only on the wrong road, but headed the wrong direction to get home. But she was not intoxicated at all, she just appeared to be. It was a bad accident, but it could have happened to any diabetic that takes insulin like that. No containers and no priors...sounds fishy.

[Boobuzuela]

09:04 PM on 01/14/2012

When I was a kid we were cooking down one side of a divided highway when my dad spotted a car on the other side going the wrong way at about the same speed.

There was nothing we could do. This was before cellphones.

My dad took the next exit, probably so we kids wouldn't have to see what was about to happen.

[sarahayoung1]

06:26 PM on 01/14/2012

This is why I'm glad the DUI's have had upped their punishment. What if she hit and killed a family, a child, or anyone for that matter! Take the dumb broad's license away!

[walkingbat]

10:36 AM on 01/14/2012

There's a big difference in driving intoxicated and risking killing people and practicing medicine and diagnosing patients. Are you seriously excusing her behavior? Maybe you would feel differently if you or your family were in her path that night. People who make stupid decisions that have potentially lethal consequences should be held accountable for their actions and suffer the consequences. Period.

[Xious Ziousk]

09:03 AM on 01/14/2012

Not a single commentator has given any thought to what could be a truly sad and serious issue that could be afflicting the 60 year old driver. I am only guessing it could be an issue. Check this out for what I mean and join the cause:

http://www.sci-burr.com/an-altruistic-endeavor/

[sarahayoung1]

06:28 PM on 01/14/2012

No one cares because everyone has their problems, it doesn't mean you have to endanger other peoples lives for it.

[Scott Moguns]

08:25 AM on 01/14/2012

I will bet that this not her first DUI, this why I hate drunks!
They kill people and get off with slap on the hand.
what do you think will happen to this drunk?
not much, a fine a suspension and maybe, just maybe a jail sentence but i doubt that part

[chypher]

07:23 PM on 01/15/2012

and i hate people that cant read.
here is the last line from the story.

Drawsby has no prior convictions. She is under investigation for driving under the influence.

and no i dont like drunks or people driving under the influance either, i have called 911 many times and as an over the road truck driver i have seen this before and allways call it in.

[JetfireK]

07:16 AM on 01/14/2012

What does her age have to do with the headlines? Retirement age is 65....She should not be allowed to do this again....and she will....because she drinks....

[ibreathe4u]

08:58 AM on 01/15/2012

To make the story more sensational. It's usually the 16-30 year old male that pulls this stuff, not grandma :-)

[gmartin997]

04:32 AM on 01/14/2012

So an old woman drove 18 miles hitting 100 mph going the wrong way on an interstate highway at 2 in the morning. Obviously there was no traffic, so why is this news?
Now, had she done that at 2 in the afternoon, without killing herself or somebody else, that would have been amazing, qualifying for Ripley's Believe It Or Not.

[walkingbat]

10:38 AM on 01/14/2012

There was traffic on the road, based on the comment that the one driver was warned by others flashing their lights to warn him. Don't get your logic.

[lita m]

04:09 AM on 01/14/2012

Unthinkable? Seriously? This kind of thing happens on our roadways just about every day. Sad, but true.

[StevenRussell1]

04:06 AM on 01/14/2012

No one "cheats" death. If it is God's time for you to go, you will go. Ready or not.

It was indeed God's hand that didn't allow Satan and his evil schemes to succeed here in taking out some lives.

My oldest sister lives in Seattle, King County, while I live caddy-corner across the Nation, in central Florida.

Am reading a book on Job, by Dr. Charles R. Swindoll, as part of an ACTS (Academy of Christian Training and Service) class that I am taking at church, and it is clear that Satan has the power to cause destruction, death, and evil. But he must go before God and get permission to perform his evil deeds.

"Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people" (Proverbs 14:34).

[jjtorres1029]

05:57 AM on 01/14/2012

for sure . when its time its time to check out .

[Boobuzuela]

09:02 PM on 01/14/2012

Which begs the question. Why would a loving God EVERY give Satan permission to do these things.

[esaustew]

03:57 AM on 01/14/2012

If that was James Brown he would have went to prison...
If that was Rodney King he would have been beaten...
If that was Obamas Uncle they would have bought him a house...

[emeathead45]

06:15 AM on 01/14/2012

Lmao!

[sdelliott52]

02:29 AM on 01/14/2012

pfffttttt

[RetiredVET6576]

01:04 AM on 01/14/2012

Drunk driving and reckless endangerment of every person on the roadway. They need to get the witnesses names and claim them as victims. One charge per victim plus the DUI.

[lita m]

04:12 AM on 01/14/2012

You're right. They should serve no more than 72 hours and then be released with a promise not to do it again... because intoxicated drivers never get behind the wheel while loaded ever again. Great idea.