Police: Woman had children in vehicle when impaired

CHILLICOTHE – Chillicothe police arrested a woman after an East Main Street McDonald's employee reported that a possible impaired driver was parked at the front of the restaurant's drive-thru with children in the vehicle.

An officer responded to the call about 6:40 p.m. Friday and found Ashley M. Sparks, 27, of Chillicothe, sitting in the driver's seat of a vehicle and her "head was tipped back and her eyes were closed," according to the police incident report.

Upon waking Sparks, the officer noted that she had bloodshot eyes and slow speech. As a field sobriety test was conducted, Sparks is alleged to have swayed and put her foot down four times when she was supposed to remain on one foot, causing the officer to terminate the test.

Sparks' two children, ages 2 and 7, were found in the vehicle and released to their grandmother.

The report indicated that the officer also found a syringe and a small plastic wrapper containing five tablets.

Once she was taken to jail, Sparks was unable to produce urine for testing and was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated and possession of drug abuse instruments.