SPANISH FORK — A Brigham City woman was arrested for allegedly driving while high on drugs with her two young children in the back seat, thanks to an alert Utah County sheriff's deputy.
Danielle Della Simpson, 27, was booked into the Utah County Jail for investigation of two counts of child endangerment, DUI, drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.
About 8:20 a.m. Wednesday, a deputy made a stop at the Dug Out convenience store, 866 S. Main in Spanish Fork, and noticed a beat-up looking car with a California license plate and a woman in the driver's seat, said Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon.
The deputy drove off to continue work. But when he passed the store again 15 minutes later, the car and driver were still there.
"She wasn't passed out. She was just sitting there," Cannon said.
The deputy approached the car and discovered two young girls, ages 4 and 5, asleep in the back seat. The car's registration had expired two years ago, Cannon said.
When talking to the driver, the deputy suspected drug use, he said.
"She told him she was coming from California. She was embarrassed to contact her parents. She was taking the kids to their father's parents in Denver. She thought she was in Draper or Cedar City, but she wasn't sure," Cannon said. "She was pretty out of it in terms of drug use."
Simpson eventually admitted to the deputy that she had taken meth within the past hour, he said.
The girls, who were not injured, were taken into protective custody until Simpson's parents could drive from Brigham City to get them.
In addition to her new case, Simpson also had warrants for her arrest out of Box Elder County and Sevier County for shoplifting.