A Paisley woman who took off during a traffic stop was arrested after a brief police chase in Belleview on Tuesday night.
Tanya Christiano, 37, of 24633 Old Deer Road, was charged with DUI, fleeing a law enforcement officer, and resisting an officer without violence.
A Belleview Police officer responded to the area of SE Hames Road and SE Abshier Boulevard in response to the report of a reckless driver. The driver, later identified as Christiano, was reportedly traveling north on U.S. Highway 441 in a Silver Toyota Prius, driving in the wrong lane and driving off the roadway into the median, according to the police report.
The officer pulled up behind Christiano’s vehicle at a red light at SE Hames Road and SE Abshier Boulevard and when the light turned green, Christiano remained stopped for about 30 seconds. The officer conducted a traffic stop, and when he approached the Christiano’s vehicle, she began to move forward and then stopped again, the report said.
The officer told Christiano, who appeared very nervous, to put the vehicle in park several times. She asked why and wouldn’t listen to instructions. The officer could smell the odor of an alcoholic beverage from inside the vehicle. When asked again to put the vehicle in park, Christiano reached for a bag in her passenger seat and said she was getting her driver’s license. The officer noticed a large bottle of spiced rum was inside the bag, according to the report.
The officer ordered Christiano to turn off her vehicle and hand over her keys due to her possibly being impaired. She said she didn’t want to turn off the car and nervously asked what she did wrong. While the officer was trying to get her to turn off the vehicle, Christiano fled northbound on SE Abshier Boulevard at a high speed, the report said.
Christiano continued at a high speed, swerving off and on the roadway several times, before finally stopping near the 1000 block of South U.S. Highway 441. She then refused to get out of her vehicle, saying she was afraid. Two officers were able to get her out of the car, but she refused to place her hands behind her back. After a brief struggle, Christiano was handcuffed and placed into the back seat of the patrol vehicle, according to the report.
Christiano said she had three or four shots of alcohol before she left her house. She failed a series of field sobriety exercises and was placed under arrest, the report said.
Christiano was taken to the Marion County Jail, where she was released Wednesday on $4,000 bond. A court date has not been set.