An Oregon woman has been charged with drunken driving after her own 11-year-old son reported her while he was a passenger in her car, investigators said.
Nicole Rochelle Norris, 30, was charged Saturday with driving under the influence of intoxicants, according to KATU in Portland. The Washington County District Attorney's Office will determine if she will also face a charge of child endangerment.
Jail records indicate Norris was booked into the Washington County Jail before being released on her own recognizance.
Norris’ son called 911 around 9:30 p.m. Saturday and told a dispatcher he was worried because his mom was driving drunk and he was in the car with her, a Washington County sheriff’s deputy told the news station.
"He was able to tell us how much he saw her drinking and told us he thought she hit a curb," Deputy Shannon Wilde said. "Her driving was so bad, he realized this was not normal."
Wilde told KATU that the dispatcher kept the boy on the line, getting landmarks from him to determine where Norris was driving. The boy spotted a restaurant, and dispatchers were able to use its location and GPS coordinates from the cellphone he was using to track Norris down, the deputy said.
She was pulled over a short distance from her home and put through a field sobriety test, as well as an alcohol level breath test. The Sheriff's Office, which shared a photo of the traffic stop on Twitter, said Norris' blood alcohol concentration tested at almost twice the legal limit.
Wilde described Norris’ son, who was placed in the custody of relatives, as a “very brave, courageous young man.”
"Sometimes doing the right thing is not easy, especially when you are 11," Wilde told KATU. "But he felt unsafe enough that he reached out for help, and we are very glad that he did."
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