Monica Say charged with fleeing police, gross misdemeanor child endangerment and fourth degree driving under the influence

Monica Say charged with fleeing police, gross misdemeanor child endangerment and fourth degree driving under the influence, A 30-year-old Monticello woman faces a handful of criminal charges for driving recklessly and fleeing police, all with her children in the car.

A criminal complaint says that on November 5th at approximately 4:53 p.m., West Hennepin Public Safety (WHPS) received a driving complaint on a vehicle we

stbound on Highway 12 in the city of Independence.

WHPS officers located a 1996 Buick Regal, observed poor driving conduct and attempted to stop the vehicle by using red lights and siren.

The driver, Monica Say, age 30, of Monticello refused to stop and continued another 4.5 miles, nearly causing numerous accidents. Public Safety Director Ray McCoy was able to get Say to pull over near Delano and later arrested her for Fleeing an Officer and DWI.

It was found that Say also had her two children in the car, ages 4 and 2, of which only one was seat belted in. Say later provided a breath test indicating her BAC was .17, more than twice the legal limit. Say was also in possession of marijuana which was found on the front seat, and an open bottle of rum was located in a diaper bag.

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office has charged Say with Felony Fleeing a Peace Officer in a Motor Vehicle, Gross Misdemeanor Child Endangerment, and 4th Degree Driving Under the Influence.

"I've seen a lot of stuff, parents drive drunk with their kids, failed to stop.  Fortunately, she kept her speeds down and we were able to get her to stop before she did crash and cause injuries to her kids, herself or innocent motorists," McCoy said during a news conference on Wednesday.

In a statement earlier in the day, McCoy said: "This is a classic example of some of the dangerous drivers WHPS officer's deals with. The lives of the public and the innocent children in Say's vehicle were spared because of the call from a concerned citizen and the actions by the WHPS Officers who responded."