Concord Woman Arrested After Allegedly Drunk-Driving in a Field

Two Concord residents were arrested last month after an alleged evening of drinking and driving on Shaker Road.

Holly S. Pickering, 28, of Concord, was arrested at 10:52 p.m. on March 18, and charged with driving while intoxicated, second offense, transportation of alcohol/open container, and criminal trespass.

William G. Strickland Jr., 53, a homeless man now located in Concord, was also charged with transportation of alcohol/open container.

According to a Concord Police report, an officer was called to Shaker Road for a report of a truck stuck in a field. A witness reported hearing a truck drive by playing loud music and then the truck spinning its tires in the field.

The officer reported seeing the truck about 75 yards from the road with its lights on.

“It also appeared that the truck had driven around the field before getting stuck,” the officer wrote.

The officer approached the truck where a woman was in the driver’s seat and a man in the passenger seat. The woman, later identified as Pickering, “appeared to be highly intoxicated (and) was yelling and her words were slurred. Her eyes were glassy and bloodshot.”

The officer allegedly had to help Pickering out of the truck and reportedly saw cups in the cup holders. He alleged that there was red liquid in the cups that smelled like alcohol. An open bottle of Jenkins vodka was also reportedly found in the truck.

The officer elected not to perform a field sobriety test, due to the “uneven snow covered field,” and instead arrested Pickering. While walking handcuffed to the police cruiser, Pickering allegedly fell over numerous times and was very unsteady on her feet.

Strickland was reportedly in the front seat of the car “calmly eating from a bag of popcorn” according to another officer. His movements were “slow and lethargic” and his eyes were bloodshot.

“Strickland seemed to be unconcerned with (our) presence and (Pickering’s) yelling and screaming,” one officer wrote.

Next to Strickland, the officer alleged, was a cup with alcohol in it. Strickland’s demeanor allegedly changed, however, when he was arrested for having an open container.

After allegedly stumbling out of the truck, Strickland was asked about the items in his pockets and he reportedly claimed to have a knife and allegedly tried twice to remove it while being ordered not to. Strickland was quickly cuffed and the knife later removed by the officer.

“Pickering went from crying to calling me names,” the officer alleged while being transported to the headquarters.

During the booking process, the officer alleged that Pickering needed to hold onto walls to keep herself up and reportedly was unable to use her phone to call someone to pick her up. She was later released on $5,000 personal recognizance bail and was arraigned on April 8.

Strickland was later released and is due in court on April 29.

Pickering has been arrested a number of times in the last year and change including a breach of bail charge in November 2012, theft, drug, and other charges in August 2012, and driving while intoxicated and other charges in February 2012.

Strickland has also been arrested and summoned on previous charges including willful concealment in June 2012, a generic city ordinance violation in April 2012, and a theft charge in August 2011.