Cranberry Woman Arrested For Vanilla Extract DUI

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, PA - When someone is arrested on DUI charges, the assumption is they ill-advisedly got behind the wheel after downing too many mixed drinks or bottles of beer - not excessive amounts of vanilla extract.

But Mary Ranker, 61, of Cranberry, recently was arrested for doing just that. Her arrest appears to solve a five-year-old mystery in neighboring Adams Township of who was dumping plastic bags filled with vanilla extract bottles on township roads.

Ranker was caught after Adams Township police installed cameras in the areas where the bottles were being discarded. Shortly thereafter, Ranker’s SUV turned up on camera.

"The trail cam caught it all," Assistant Chief Bob Scanlon told WPXI-TV. Police ran Ranker’s plate, saw her out driving later that day and pulled her over. WPXI reported Ranker failed a field sobriety test with a blood alcohol count of .128 and police found vanilla bottles in her car. Vanilla extract has an alcohol content of 35 percent.

Ranker faces a hearing next month on charges of driving under the influence and littering.

Photo by Bill Holsinger-Robinson via Creative Commons.