Guthrie Woman Arrested, Accused Of DUI After Running Over Mailboxes

Labor Day weekend was busy for law enforcement.as they worked to keep roads safe, but that didn't prevent DUI-related crashes and arrests.

Guthrie Post Office maintenance crews are hard at work replacing mailboxes after police said 23-year-old Alyssa Hedge allegedly ran the boxes over in a van.

“There were some concrete filled pipes that were on either side, as well,” Guthrie Police Department Sgt. Anthony Gibbs said. “She ended up laying both of those down and moved the mailboxes off their bases, so there was definitely some speed involved.”

The crash happened at the only post office in Guthrie, which typically create a lot of foot traffic in and out of the building. Roadside mailboxes will be back in use Thursday.

Police said Hedge was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and in possession of a controlled dangerous substance. 

“Initially, the driver stated that she had not had anything to drink,” Sgt. Gibbs said. “Then maybe it was a beer, then it was a beer but maybe it wasn't a beer. She went back and forth on this several times.”

Officers in Guthrie weren't the only agency busy this Labor Day. Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper Eric Foster said suspected DUI arrests are on the rise this year.

In an effort to combat the rise, Oklahoma City police, OHP, Oklahoma County and Cleveland County Sheriff's Offices operated saturations and DUI checkpoints over the three-day weekend.

“Last year, in 2021, we had 12 fatalities on just the Labor Day holiday, and that's too many,” Foster said. “One is too many.”

Authorities said two of those deadly crashes were drug or alcohol related. Between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. Saturday, the agencies made multiple arrests and issued dozens of tickets and warnings across Cleveland and Oklahoma counties.

“What we're seeing lately (is) really what I would term both an epidemic of both prescription drugs and marijuana usage,” Sgt. Gibbs said. “My warning would be, ‘Know how this affects you. If you've used a drug, don't drive.”