Police: Woman caught driving wrong way on highway with drugs, child in backseat

TIPTON COUNTY, Ind. -- (WXIN) -- Deputies arrested a woman accused of driving the wrong direction on a Tipton County highway with drugs and a child in the backseat.

On February 25 around 12:30 a.m., deputies were conducting a routine traffic stop in the southbound lanes of US 31 north of County Road 100 North when they a car passed them traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of US 31.

Both deputies got back in their cars and gave chase to the wrong way driver from the southbound lanes with their emergency lights activated and using their spotlights in an attempt to warn oncoming traffic of the danger by illuminating the car as it continued to travel the wrong direction.

While the deputies were catching up to the vehicle they witnessed two instances where the vehicle was nearly involved in head on collisions with northbound traffic. The deputies were able to stop the car in the northbound passing lane of US 31 near Division Road.

The deputies say they spoke with the driver, 26-year-old Emily Martin. A 6-year-old was in the backseat of her car.

Martin said she was leaving the Sharpsville area and didn't realize she turned onto the wrong lane of US 31. During the traffic stop, one of the deputies observed marijuana in plain view inside the car.

Martin denied having any marijuana, and police say she told them to search the car. They found a small container of marijuana. They also realized that she never obtained a driver's license.