Woman Accused of DUI on Bay Bridge With Child in Car

Queen Anne's County, MD - A Columbia woman is facing multiple charges after authorities say she was driving impaired on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge with a child in the vehicle, striking the bridge's side multiple times along the way.

Brenda Gonzalez Martinez, 33, was stopped early Friday morning, May 29th, after an off-duty police officer called in a possible impaired driver crossing eastbound on the bridge. The caller reported seeing the vehicle hit the side of the bridge several times and drift out of its lane.

A sergeant on routine patrol was already watching bridge traffic when the call came in. He noticed a strange gap in the flow of cars, then spotted an unmarked police vehicle with lights on, slowly trailing traffic behind a car matching the description from the call.

That car was moving at a low speed and struggling to stay in its lane. The sergeant pulled the vehicle over and made contact with the driver, identified as Gonzalez Martinez, along with a child who was riding in the car with her.

During the stop, the sergeant noticed signs of impairment and damage along the side of the vehicle. Gonzalez Martinez was asked to complete standard field sobriety tests but refused. Based on what deputies observed, she was placed under arrest.

The child was later released to a sober adult.

Gonzalez Martinez now faces a long list of charges, including DUI, DWI, and driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol to the point of being unable to drive safely. Several charges specifically relate to having a minor in the vehicle while impaired, including DUI while transporting a minor.

She's also charged with failing to remain at the scene of an accident involving vehicle damage, failing to control her speed to avoid a collision, and reckless and negligent driving. Additional citations include failing to obey a traffic control device and making an unsafe lane change.

Disclosure: All individuals mentioned in this article are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Eastern Shore Undercover® does not express or imply any opinion regarding the incident reported.