Kimberly McCarthy, an 18-year-old Tampa woman, racked up three DUIs in an 18-day span this spring, which seems like a mixture of serious problems, serious stupidity, and serious bad luck (who knows how many times she was driving under the influence and didn't get caught?). But the teen won't be facing jail time. Instead, a judge sentenced her to rehab, in part because she told police she wasn't aware "smoking marijuana and driving would be a DUI."
McCarthy didn't even have her full driver's license yet at the time. She only received her learner's permit in November 2011. Yet, according to the Tampa Bay Times, she had already been stopped earlier this year for driving without an adult, careless driving, and not wearing a seat belt.
Then, on February 23, she got her first DUI. Police pulled her over and found an open bottle of rum, 12 Xanax pills, pot, and a bong. She was charged with misdemeanor DUI and felony possession of a controlled substance.
Six days later, she was sent a letter by the Department of Highway Safety that her license had been revoked. That didn't keep her from getting behind the wheel.
On March 11, she was stopped again. She racked up another misdemeanor DUI and told police she had smoked pot four hours earlier. She was also charged with possession of marijuana.
Then, the very next day -- yes, the very next day -- she rear-ended a stopped car. Police found more pot, a bong, a roach clip, and a glass pipe in her car. They charged her with a felony DUI.
This time, she was denied bail, but she will avoid additional jail time. Hillsborough Circuit Judge Lisa Campbell ruled that McCarthy will be headed to a treatment center instead of the big house. She will remain in jail, though, until a bed at a treatment center is available.
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