DUI Charges for Woman Who Drove Car into Canal

A Delaware woman is facing several charges after an incident that left her car in a canal. Twenty-three year old Taylor Cole Vanderhook drove her vehicle into the water near 54th Street in Ocean City, a little after 2 a.m. early Monday morning. She is said to have drove through the parking lot of Macky’s Bayside Grill before nudging a pontoon boat in the lot and continuing on into the canal behind Chauncey’s Surf Shop. Though she was lucky to have been rescued by a witness, she will be in Ocean City District Court with her Maryland DUI attorney on December 16.
Chris Sullivan, general manager of the nearby Yang’s Palace restaurant, was staying in an apartment above the restaurant that night. He said he heard her rimless wheel scraping pavement and looked out the window in time to see Ms. Vanderhook’s Camry drive into the water. Being hailed a hero, Sullivan ran outside to lend assistance. He found Vanderhook sitting calmly in the car not making any effort to get out. Sullivan is said to have grabbed a wooden plank and busted the rear windshield for her to escape. Vanderhook didn’t immediately exit the vehicle instead allegedly telling Sullivan that she was “going to kill him” for breaking her car. Even after being pulled from the water, she is reported to have asked where her car was, seeming confused and disoriented. Ironically, Vanderhook called Sullivan a drunk before leaving the scene. Police later found her at a bus stop on Coastal Highway.
After being arrested, on the ride to the police station, the arresting officer reports that Vanderhook offered several bribes to be let out, increasing her offers from $20 to $200 for her release. She now faces charges of bribery, reckless driving, failure to provide identification, driving under the influence, and driving while intoxicated. This isn’t the first time Vanderhook was caught driving drunk–court records indicated a 2007 drunk driving conviction. As for Sullivan, he will be honored with a police award for outstanding service.
This article is provided by The Law Offices of David Benowitz,representing clients in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. For more information, please visit our Virginia DUI Lawyer and DC DWI Lawyer websites.