Woman Arrested for DUI After Driving With Flat Tire and Open Container in Pullman, WA

On September 9, 2023 at approximately 3:03 AM, Officer Jordan Shellabarger with the Pullman Police Department was on patrol on Valley Road and he observed a westbound 2014 Volkswagen Passat being driven with a flat tire on Stadium Way. He attempted to alert the driver to the flat tire, but she did not seem to notice. As he began pursuing the vehicle, he saw her driving the wrong-way in the eastbound lane for approximately 350 feet. Officer Shellabarger activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop, and the vehicle pulled over on NE Monroe Street. He proceeded to make contact with the driver, who was identified as 21-year-old Ellie Hansen.

After he made contact with Ellie, he detected the odor of alcohol and noticed that her eyes were bloodshot and watery. There was also an open container of Modelo in the vehicle. Officer Shellabarger asked Ellie for her documents and told her why she was being stopped. When he asked Ellie if she had been drinking, she admitted to consuming wine earlier that day. Since the officer was still in training, he radioed for another officer to come and administer the field sobriety exercises. Officer Brock Westerman responded to the scene within a few minutes, and assumed responsibility for the investigation. Based on their suspicion of impairment, Ellie was offered an opportunity to participate in field sobriety exercises.

The first field sobriety exercise was the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test, and Officer Westerman observed the lack of smooth pursuit, distinct and sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation, and the onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degrees. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Ellie was unable to walk heel-to-toe in a straight line and took 10 steps instead of the 9 steps she was instructed to take. The third exercise was the One Leg Stand test. During the One Leg Stand test, Ellie failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion, put her foot down multiple times, failed to count aloud, and swayed her arms for balance.

After the field sobriety exercises were complete, Officer Westerman asked Ellie to submit to a voluntary PBT. The PBT indicated a BAC of 0.212%, which is nearly triple the legal limit. Based on her failure to adequately perform the field sobriety exercises and the results of her PBT, Officer Westerman placed Ellie under arrest for driving under the influence. After she was placed in the patrol car, Officer Shellabarger parked her vehicle in a nearby Starbucks parking lot and transported Ellie back to the Pullman Police Department for further processing.

Once they were at police HQ, Officer Westerman processed Ellie because Officer Shellabarger was still in training. Officer Westerman read Ellie her Miranda rights as well as the Implient Consent Warning, and she agreed to submit breath samples for testing. He began the 20-minute observation period, and Ellie admitted to consuming wine in the hours prior. After the breathalyzer was administered, her Alcotest results indicated a BAC of 0.227% (lowest IR result).

After Officer Westerman was finished with administering the breathalyzer, Officer Shellabarger placed Ellie in a cell. After a brief holding period, Ellie was removed from the cell to be photographed and fingerprinted. Afterwards, her belongings were returned to her and she was released with a summons to appear in court. Officer Shellabarger cited Ellie under RCW 46.61.502 for driving under the influence and released her pending a court appearance in Colfax.

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