A 62-year-old Massillon woman was arrested for operating a vehicle while under the influence Thursday morning and she has three prior drunk driving convictions, according to police.
Around 12:30 a.m., an officer spotted a black SUV driving over the double lines in the area of of Erie Street S. and Rawson Avenue SE before she was pulled over.
Dash camera video, released to News 5, shows the driver, Diane Rolland, apparently failing several field sobriety tests.
"She looked like she had a lack of balance for sure, slurred speech," said Sgt. Brian Muntean.
Officers said her blood alcohol level was .177 and is classified as a "Super OVI", since the level was above .170. Prosecutors told News 5 that a Super OVI could lead to increased penalties, including longer jail time, if convicted.
Ohio House Bill 388, also known as Annie's Law, takes effect in April and strengthens OVI laws.
To address the concerns of repeat drunk drivers, the law increases the "look back" period from six to 10 years in order to prosecute as a felony.
Currently, a driver can face a felony charge is he or she has four OVI's over six years. Under the new law, drivers can face a felony if they have four OVI's over 10 years.
"It's not uncommon to see somebody with multiple, even double-digit OVI's so it's very important to have this expanded look back period so that we can stick them with the felony, possibly get some prison time, not having driving privileges and keep these innocent drivers safe," said Margaret Scott, deputy chief assistant prosecutor for Summit County.
The new law will also increase the mandatory minimum license suspension for first-time offenders from six months to one year.
However, if they agree to use an interlock ignition device — also known as a breathalyzer — in their cars, a judge has discretion to reduce the suspension time.
Muntean, who often expresses concerns about repeat drunk drivers on social media posts, welcomes the changes and believes Annie's law could save lives.
"We have actually pulled over as many as 10 OVI's with a valid driver's license issued by the BMV," he said. "There's an obvious problem or issue with our current law."
Annie's Law was named for Chillicothe attorney Annie Rooney who was killed by a repeat drunk driving offender on US 50 in 2013.
