Harrison police charge woman with driving drunk, nearly hitting 2 while fleeing

Harrison police charged a 19-year-old woman with driving drunk, speeding through neighborhood streets and nearly hitting two people playing basketball in an alley Monday evening.

Township police charged Nakeela T. Johnson, of Harrison, with a felony count of fleeing or eluding police, two misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person, driving under the influence and five summary traffic offenses.

In a criminal complaint, a Harrison police sergeant said he was on routine patrol on Burtner Road near the Route 28 north offramp around 5:45 p.m. As he approached the offramp, the sergeant said a car tried to pull out in front of his vehicle, stopping with its front end in his lane of travel.

The sergeant said he identified Johnson as the driver, who he personally knows does not have a valid driver’s license. After seeing Johnson turn right onto Pleasantville Road, the sergeant turned his vehicle around and tried to catch up to stop her.

The sergeant said he did not catch up to Johnson’s car until he was between Juniata and Fourth streets. He said Johnson turned left onto Fourth Street at a high rate of speed and ran stop signs on Fourth at Keystone and Main streets.

According to the complaint, Johnson turned right onto Main Street and right again into an alley between Third and Fourth streets. Police said two people were playing basketball in the alley when Johnson “came through at a high rate of speed almost striking them,” the complaint states.

No estimate of her speed was given.

Police said Johnson’s car spun out in a side yard on Keystone Street. Police said Johnson and three others in the car, one adult and two juveniles, complied with police orders and were taken into custody.

Police said a back seat passenger was seen shoving something under the driver’s seat. Police said they found an almost empty bottle of alcohol.

Police said Johnson smelled of alcohol. Police said she admitted having about three shots of alcohol, and is under 21. Police said she had delayed responses and bloodshot eyes, but was crying.

Police said Johnson agreed to having her blood drawn at Allegheny Valley Hospital to be sent to the Allegheny County Crime Lab for analysis.

Johnson did not have an attorney listed in court records.

Johnson was arraigned early Tuesday morning and released on her own recognizance. She is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 1 before District Judge Carolyn S. Bengel.