Drunk Florida Woman Drives Car Into Canal With 3-Year-Old Child In Back Seat

A woman in Cape Coral, Florida was charged with drunk driving after she drove a car into a canal with a child in the back seat.

The woman, identified as 29-year-old Lisa Ribblett, was driving another passenger and a three-year-old child home after partying at the Cape Coral Yacht Club last weekend when the vehicle veered offroad and into the water. The child was in the back seat without a seat belt when the incident took place. The relationship between the three people in the car was not known.

Officers with the Cape Coral Police Department found the child with a bruise on the forehead. They took the driver to the police station where a breath test showed a blood alcohol level of 0.203 percent, which is more than two times the legit limit in the state.

The woman was taken into custody and charged with "driving under the influence" with damage to property.

Speaking to Wink News, the residents in the area where the crash took place said they heard a "loud bang" around 7 p.m. and saw that a car had crashed into the canal.

"I heard a loud bang, and the house shook a little bit. I saw through the trees there. There was a flashlight on a red car, you know, and I’m like, 'What the heck is that?'" resident Jeff Kennedy told the outlet.

He said he saw the people inside the car crawling through the back door as the front doors were under water.

Some of the residents criticized the woman for driving after drinking.

"To make the decision to drive after you’ve been drinking with a 3-year-old in the car, that’s not a clear-minded person. I’ll pray for her. I really hope that she does find the help that she needs," Jon Cassidy said.

The accused has been booked into Lee County Jail and posted a $4,000 bond. Her next court appearance is scheduled for December.