A nurse from Michigan City was arrested at her workplace after it was discovered that her blood alcohol level was five times higher than the legal limit.
A registered nurse on her way to the hospital struck a parked vehicle and is currently being evaluated for a possible stroke. However, a test later revealed an alarmingly high level of alcohol in her bloodstream.
Candice Vanwaardenburg, a 52-year-old woman, is facing charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and fleeing the scene of an accident.
According to police, a woman from San Pierre was reported as a reckless driver on Monday evening. Shortly after, she drove off the road and parked in the lot of Franciscan Health, located just outside Michigan City.
The police have obtained surveillance footage that captures the moment when she collided with a Subaru Outback right outside the hospital. The video also shows her driving her pick-up truck with a visibly damaged front bumper and parking it in a vacant parking spot in an erratic manner.
Vanwaardenburg, wearing traditional blue scrubs and displaying identification as a registered nurse, exited the vehicle, according to the police.
As she made her way to start her 12-hour shift, her lack of stability forced her to be transported into the hospital via wheelchair.
Afterward, she was admitted to the hospital as a patient.
The police stated that an officer, with the doctor’s approval, entered her room to discuss the accident in the parking lot.
According to the police, the doctor notified the officer that she might have experienced a stroke. However, the medical professionals were still in the process of determining a final diagnosis.
The officer initiated his investigation by inquiring about her symptoms.
The woman’s husband grew worried about her mental state as she struggled to speak clearly. According to the police, she noticed herself squinting her eyes as she was passing through Westville.
As the officer approached her, he noticed a distinct smell of alcohol on her breath, which immediately raised his suspicions.
According to the police, Vanwaardenburg stated that she had not consumed any alcohol for approximately 18 hours prior to the incident.
Her blood sample showed a blood alcohol level of 0.416, which is slightly five times higher than the legal limit of .08 percent for operating a vehicle.
After being handcuffed, she was transported to the La Porte County Jail. However, she was later released the following day upon posting a $900 cash bond. Her release allows her to await the resolution of her two misdemeanor charges.
