Woman arrested near Hixton for using drugs while kids were in car

Authorities say a western Wisconsin woman was arrested for allegedly taking illegal drugs while driving with five children in the car in the Jackson County area.

The Wisconsin State Patrol said it learned of the incident when a father called to request a welfare check on his 12-year-old daughter. The girl was in a car headed to Wisconsin Dells with a friend and the friend’s family and told her father the adults were “smoking drugs.”

The girl gave updates on her location, which the father relayed to the state patrol. Troopers pulled the vehicle over near Hixton, north of Black River Falls.

Troopers discovered that two 4-year-old twins, an 11-year-old and an 8-year-old were also in the vehicle.

The patrol said the driver, a 31-year-old woman, showed signs of impairment and a field sobriety test confirmed she was “under the influence of a controlled substance.” Troopers found marijuana and paraphernalia in the car.