Woman driving drunk with child in vehicle sent to prison

A Carbon County woman, who previously admitted driving drunk with a child in her vehicle, was sentenced to a county prison term on Friday.

She entered a guilty plea before Judge Joseph J. Matika.

Katelyn Marie McFarland, 26, formerly of Palmerton, now of Lansford, was sentenced on counts of DUI, endangering the welfare of a child and retail theft.

On the endangering count she was sentenced to serve six to one day less 24 months in prison; on the DUI count 72 hours to six months in prison; and on the retail theft probation for 24 months. All the terms run concurrent to each other.

She was arrested on the DUI and endangering charges on Aug. 13, 2015, by Nesquehoning police along Railroad Street. At the stop a young child was found in the vehicle. Police responded to the area for a reported hit-and-run accident. A test revealed the presence of a controlled substance.

On the retail theft McFarland was charged by Mahoning Township police for an incident at the Walmart store. There is a co-defendant in that case.

McFarland has a criminal record tied to a drug addiction problem. She spent 88 days in an inpatient rehabilitation program and is currently involved in an outpatient program.

She told Matika, “Thank you for allowing me to go to rehab. I’m clean now.”

She was also ordered to pay a fine of $1,500 on the DUI count and 18-month license suspension, make restitution of $18.85 to Walmart and render a total of 100 hours of community service.

She was given credit for 88 days spent in rehab. She will begin serving the remaining prison time on Aug. 24 at 6 p.m. and serve it on consecutive two-day weekends.