Jon Johnson File Photo/Gila Herald
By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – Regan Durae Thompson, 27, of Safford, was arrested for aggravated DUI after an officer believed she was driving while high on heroin with her 3-year-old daughter in the backseat.
According to a Safford Police report, an officer was on patrol at about 10:05 p.m. on Sept. 17 when he noticed a red sedan northbound on 5th Avenue turn westbound onto 9th Street and then southbound onto 6th Avenue before parking outside a residence with the engine running.
The officer believed the activity to be suspicious and contacted the driver, identified as Thompson.
The officer reported that Thompson appeared extremely nervous and that her eyes were constricted. Additionally, he said her voice was raspy and slow and that several track marks from intravenous drug use were apparent on her forearms.
Thompson allegedly told the officer that the last time she had used heroin was 24 hours previous to the stop and that she smokes it and no longer injects it.
After failing a field sobriety test, Thompson was allowed to make arrangements for a friend to pick up her child prior to being taken into custody.
While at the police department, two attempts to retrieve blood for testing purposes were unsuccessful due to heavy scarring from previous intravenous drug use. Thompson was then taken to Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center, where two separate ER technicians were also unable to gather a blood draw.
A registered nurse was finally able to collect one vial of blood after the use of an ultrasound machine. Thompson was then released from custody pending lab test results and review by prosecutors.
