A woman accused of driving after smoking “spice” allegedly narrowly missed hitting a semi then another passenger vehicle head-on before crashing into a water hydrant last Friday night in Switz City.

Chasittie Dannielle Jaroscak, 39, Spencer, was arrested by Deputy Jordan Allor of the Greene County Sheriff’s Department last Friday night, August 28.

Deputy Allor, the investigating officer, and Deputy Michael Stanley were dispatched at 7:19 p.m. last Friday to the scene of a crash involving one vehicle on State Road 54 and Charlotte Avenue in Switz City. Deputy Alan Jackson also responded, got there first and identified Jaroscak as the driver. When the other two deputies arrived, Deputy Jackson said the driver appeared to be intoxicated.

Deputy Allor said dispatch had advised him that right before the crash occurred, another driver had called in to report a reckless driver. The driver who called in was a witness and was on the scene when the deputies arrived. A second witness to the crash came forward the following day.

When Deputy Allor talked to the witness on the scene, she said, “I followed her from Linton and I called the sheriff’s department because she was all over the road. She was going off the side of the road, crossing the lines and almost hit a semi.”

Jaroscak was the driver of a 2008 Chrysler Town and Country that had been eastbound on the highway before running off the road and crashing into a water hydrant in the area of Charlotte Avenue. Jaroscak said she was coming from Linton, going to Bloomfield then to New Hope. She said a puppy jumped on her and caused her to crash.

Deputy Allor reported Jaroscak exhibited signs of impairment including slow and slurred speech, dilated pupils and unsteady balance. Jaroscak passed one part of field sobriety testing but failed the others. She said she was not intoxicated but she refused to submit to a chemical test. She was taken into custody and when checked before transport, a cellophane wrapper with green and brown material was found in a pocket. Jaroscak allegedly admitted the substance was synthetic marijuana or “spice” and that she had smoked spice about three hours earlier.

Once at the sheriff’s department, Jaroscak failed sobriety testing again and a search warrant was granted for a blood sample – results pending.

Jaroscak was booked into the Greene County Jail at 10:08 p.m.

The next day, a second witness surfaced and when Deputy Allor talked to her, she said she was westbound on the highway when she saw the minivan coming toward her. The minivan was in her lane and almost hit her head-on. A collision was avoided but the second witness said the minivan struck the water hydrant.

Jaroscak appeared in Greene Superior Court for an initial hearing yesterday, September 2. She has been charged with:

• Operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person, a Class A misdemeanor,

• Operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Class C misdemeanor,

• Operating a vehicle with a Schedule I or II controlled substance in body, a Class C misdemeanor, and

• Possession of a controlled substance, a Class A misdemeanor.

A public defender was appointed to represent her and her bond was set at $5,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. She has since posted $500 and been released from jail.