An Oregon mother is accused of using her car to pull three children seated in a plastic wagon.
Alana Nicole Donahue, 27, was arrested after several drivers who witnessed the spectacle called the police to report the incident, WITI reported.
The Oregonian reports that her 2-year-old daughter, 4-year-old son, and 8-year-old nephew were inside the wagon, but were not hurt in the incident.
Witnesses say they saw the vehicle towing the wagon, which was attached to the car by a rope, around a roundabout “repeatedly.” Several drivers got out of their vehicles to confront the mother, who allegedly drove away.
Drivers say the woman caused traffic to back up in the roundabout, and one of the drivers almost hit the wagon, according to a police report.
The police report states that Donahue allegedly told a driver to “be an adult about it” after she stopped to put the wagon inside her car.
One witness recorded video and took photos of the incident, according to the police report.
Another witness saw “Donahue pull over and move the toddler from the wagon to the car and then continue driving with the 4-year-old and the 8-year-old still in the wagon,” police said.
Lt. Scott McKee, a spokesperson for the Springfield Police Department, told the Register-Guard that Donahue said she “didn’t understand what the problem was because she was only driving 5 mph and she just wanted to show the kids a good time.”
“The kids are on a short rope, so there’s not a lot margin for error,” Lt. McKee said. “It’s really lucky that nothing more serious happened.”
McKee added that she was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time.
Donahue was booked into Springfield Municipal Jail and charged with two counts of reckless endangerment. Police are looking to charge her with a third count, KGW reports.
She is expected to appear in court next week.
KVAL reports that the Department of Human Services placed the children in the custody of a family member.
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