Strollerderby

Boy Calls 911 When Mom Drives Drunk

Posted by Brett Singer

Belinda Leighton drove drunk with her kids in the car. One of them called 911.File this under "I may not be perfect but I'm a better parent than this lady."

36-year-old Belinda Leighton of Boca Raton, Florida was arrested this week and charged with driving drunk. With her kids, ages 9 and 13, in the car.

After spending "the morning drinking wine and beer", Leighton got in her car with children in tow. She told the kids that she had "had it" (it's not clear if she'd "had it" with them or just in general) and "was going to kill them and herself by crashing the car." One of the children called 911 from the back seat; Leighton was arrested at a friend's house.

According to WPBF News, Leighton asked that the deputies "take her children and put them in foster care." I give her credit for that, at least. Hopefully that's an indication that she knows she has a problem and will get help.

Big props to the kid who called 911 as well. It would be enough to just get out of that situation physically unharmed (emotionally is another story). But to have the presence of mind to call the police? I'm impressed. (I know, looking for a positive here, but can you blame me?)

Source: WPBF

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Comments

 

bill shith said:

Mybe you should ask the real question what really happened??? Instead we tend to believe kids before the parent's. What happened to our society???? I know somr parents are bad people people, but so are some kids. They will lie to get what they want. Such as calling the Police making a false report to get what they want!!! I have seen it first hand on several ocassions, where the child calls  the Police and lies to them about an incident. The police arrest the parent and then the child retracks the complaint and say's I lied becasue I wanted to go to a party and they would not let me. So, I lied about teh abuse the so they would go to jail and I could go to the party or out with my friends.  

So never judge the book until you read the story that's inside it!!!!!

April 15, 2009 4:45 PM
 

trix said:

Poor kids, what ever the whole story is, it is what it is. But it's so sad that she actually asked the cops to take them from her and put them in foster care. Just awful. I hope they have somewhere or some family to go to.

April 15, 2009 6:25 PM
 

Brett Singer said:

I agree that I wasn't there, I'm only telling you what another news outlet reported. But the 911 call was from the car, which means that there must be tape of that. And there were a lot of details that would be difficult to just invent out of whole cloth. Is it possible that the kids were lying in this case? I suppose, but it doesn't sound like it.

April 15, 2009 8:52 PM
 

Aunt Cheryl said:

My husband and I have these children.  They are our family as is BeLinda.  We love them all. The children are safe, secure and are being loved and cared for.  We are not yet sure exactly what happened, but believe that a mix of perscription meds and alcohol may have precipitated this terrible event.  They will never go to foster care as long as we are alive.  They are great kids and their Mother does have something to do with them becoming who they are today.

April 15, 2009 10:24 PM
 

Trey said:

um...I tend to believe a police report. Drunk people say a lot of stupid stuff. The original police and news reports confirm this story.

If she wasn't arrested for dangerous driving AND intoxicated, you might have a case. But in this case, I have to agree w/ Brett's reporting.

April 15, 2009 10:32 PM
 

Stride Rite said:

Alcohol is very dangerous in human being. I appreciate that boy handover his mom to the police. So, anyone don't attend drunk with driving.

April 16, 2009 9:49 AM
 

A High School Friend said:

I believe 50% of both Belinda & the kids.  She can be a good, loving mom.  She is a single mom going through a bad divorce and her kids "know it all" as we all thought we did at one time.  Let her have her kids back w/ state visitation weekly.  This is just a case of "the straw that broke the camel's back".  The boy Brennon has a smart mouth & she just snapped.

April 25, 2009 1:40 AM

About Brett Singer

Brett Singer is a writer and father living in Manhattan with his wonderful wife and two terrific sons (referred to here as Thing 1 and Thing 2). He writes about music for the Boston Phoenix, parenting for Babble and daddytips.com, and other topics for anyone else who will have him.

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