Police: Norwich Woman Gets High on Life and Arrested for OUI, Marijuana, and Passing on the Right

According to CT State Police, a Norwich woman found herself in a bit of trouble on January 28, 2025, after a traffic stop on I-395 in Montville. At around 5:28 PM, a Trooper from Troop E - Montville noticed a black Honda Accord swerving a bit too much between lanes and decided to pull it over.

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The car was driving in the left lane behind the Trooper’s cruiser before swerving into the right lane to pass another vehicle, then quickly returning to the left lane. Not exactly smooth driving, so the Trooper decided to investigate further.

Once the car was pulled over near Exit 5, the Trooper identified the driver as 19-year-old Emily Campos-Sanchez from Norwich. It wasn’t long before the Trooper noticed a strong odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle (and, yes, “emitting” was the word used in the press release). I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer not to be accused of emitting anything—sounds pretty incriminating, right?

As the Trooper chatted with Campos-Sanchez, it became clear she was impaired. After she failed a Standardized Field Sobriety Test, things only got worse. Campos-Sanchez admitted to using marijuana before driving, leading to her arrest for Operating Under the Influence (OUI). A vehicle search also turned up marijuana and alcohol—plus, it turned out she didn’t have a valid driver’s license.

Campos-Sanchez was arrested and charged with several violations, including Operating Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol, Passing on the Right, Possession of Marijuana by a Minor, Possession of Alcohol by a Minor, and Operating Without a License. She was released on a $1,000 bond and is due in court on February 11, 2025.

It makes me wonder—when did we stop calling it “DUI” and start using the fancier term “OUI”? Seems like we’re just trying to make it sound more sophisticated while driving under the influence of... pretty much everything. Don't give up on DUI, it served us well for so long. Plus using operator to describe driver in Connecticut is giving way to much credit. There are no operators out there, just sh--y drivers.

Charges:

• C.G.S. 14-227a - Operating Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol
• C.G.S. 14-233 - Passing on the Right
• C.G.S 14-36(a) - Operating a Motor Vehicle without a License
• C.G.S. 21a-279a(c1A) - Possession of Marijuana by a Minor
• C.G.S. 30-89(b)(1) - Possession of Alcohol by a Minor