Lucan woman sentenced for DWI with illegal drugs in car

A Lucan woman was sentenced in Redwood County court last week for DWI after being caught earlier this year with multiple illegal drugs in her car and failing a field sobriety test.

On the evening of March 6 of this year, a Redwood Falls police officer observed a vehicle with an expired registration traveling down E. Bridge Street. The driver, Heidi Lynn Chouinard, age 48, of Lucan, stated she and her passengers had just come into town from Wabasso. The officer thought that was odd since he had just seen that vehicle pull out of the Eastwood Estates trailer court.

When the officer asked Chouinard what she and her passengers had been doing in the trailer court, she allegedly replied they were dropping off a borrowed cereal bowl with a friend. The officer knew the friend she mentioned had a history of drug-related offenses. The officer also noted potential drug paraphernalia near the car’s gear shift.

Investigation showed Chouinard was then on probation in Nobles County. When the officer asked her if she had anything illegal in her vehicle, Chouinard allegedly responded, “Not that I know of.” Asked if she had cocaine or methamphetimine in the car, Chouinard allegedly stated in both cases, “There better not be.”

A subsequent search of the vehicle turned up marijuana in several places. During field sobriety tests, Chouinard allegedly acknowledged that if she were given a test for methamphetimine use, it would turn out positive.

On Sept. 27, Chouinard was sentenced for third degree operating a vehicle under the influence of a controlled substance to 365 days in the Redwood County jail, 350 days of that time stayed for two years, and two years supervised probation.