An accused DUI driver allegedly crashed through six mailboxes before coming to an abrupt stop in a grove of trees, all while carrying a pet lizard in her bra, police in Massachusetts stated Tuesday.
It was the middle of the afternoon when Taunton police say Amy Rebello-McCarthy, 39, was found laughing the near tragedy off as cops approached her smashed-up 1999 Mercedes.
Witnesses told cops Rebello-McCarthy had hopped out and was standing next to the vehicle when her male passenger jumped into the driver’s side to attempt to drive the vehicle from the front lawn back to the road.
"That may have been possible if all four tires hadn’t been flattened in the crash, if all the airbags hadn’t deployed and both bumpers hadn’t been ripped off," police stated in a statement posted to Facebook.
Meanwhile, cops say a slurring Rebello-McCarthy asked officers to call a tow truck. "She began laughing and didn’t feel the crash was that serious. She was slurring her words and at times drooling. Amy requested from the officers they call a tow truck to pull the 1999 Mercedes C280 to the roadway so they could be on their way," cops wrote.
Cops say they found an open bottle of brandy in the front seat along with empty bottles of root beer-flavored nips, police stated. Her blood alcohol content was measured at nearly twice the legal driving level, according to the statement.
After officers spoke with Rebello-McCarthy, they approached the male passenger who they say was smoking a cigarette with no regard for the gas that was leaking from the vehicle.
Taunton police stated the man couldn't recall his name and that, when he turned, they observed what they believed was the butt of a semi-automatic weapon tucked in his waistband.
"Let’s recap for just a moment!! Two very intoxicated people in a car crash, neither of them coherent, unsteady on their feet, slurring and drooling. If that’s not a bad start, let’s throw the gun into the equation. The male party was taken to the ground and handcuffed. The gun was removed from his waist," cops wrote.
Before police transported Rebello-McCarthy to the station, cops say she told them she was carrying her pet bearded dragon — a common pet species native to Australia — in her bra.
The lizard was taken away by Taunton police and has since been transferred to animal control.
Both subjects were transported back to the police station. Rebello-McCarthy was arrested and charged with: 1) Operating a motor vehicle under the influence of – liquor, 2) driving to endanger and 3) marked lane violation.
Her passenger's "firearm" was later identified as a replica and he was not charged.