Well now, let me tell ya about this here Deputy Stephanie LeClerc. She’s 37 years old and been working for the sheriff’s department for, oh, about 14 years, I reckon. But what happened recently just don’t sit right with me, no sir, it don’t. One evening, she was off work, just drivin’ along State Road 415 near New Smyrna Beach when things took a turn for the worse. She was all over the road, swervin’ side to side like a chicken with its head cut off.
Now, it’s one thing to make a mistake here and there, but this was somethin’ else altogether. Turns out, Deputy LeClerc had been drinkin’. Not just a little sip of wine, neither, but enough to get herself in a mighty mess. She had a 7-year-old child in the car with her, and I’m sure you know, folks don’t take too kindly to that kind of thing. Drinkin’ and drivin’ is bad enough, but when you got a little one along for the ride, that’s just downright irresponsible.
Investigators got involved, and things didn’t look good for the deputy. She was arrested for DUI and for child neglect, what with that poor little soul sittin’ right next to her while she was swayin’ all over the place. Now, when they asked her to take a breath test, she refused, which just made the whole thing even worse. I don’t know about you, but when the law comes askin’ questions, you’d best be answerin’ and not refusin’ like that.
Folks around here were shocked when they heard the news. This deputy wasn’t some stranger; she had been with the sheriff’s department for years. A lot of people had trusted her, and now look at what happened. She drove to her sister’s house that evening after all this happened, pulled into the driveway like nothin’ was wrong. But folks saw the video, and it painted a picture that was hard to ignore.
Now, I ain’t one to judge too harshly, but I do think there’s a lesson to be learned here. It don’t matter what your job is or how long you been doin’ it; when you make a mistake like this, it can cost ya. Deputy LeClerc is now out of a job, and for good reason too. Ain’t no place in this world for people who can’t be trusted with their own actions, let alone with the lives of others. That little one in her car could’ve been hurt, and that’s somethin’ nobody ever wants to see happen, especially not to a child.
So, let this be a reminder to all of us. Stay sober when you’re drivin’, keep your head straight, and never put a child in harm’s way, no matter what’s goin’ on in your life. Life’s too short to make the wrong choices, and Deputy LeClerc learned that the hard way.
Tags：[Deputy Stephanie LeClerc, DUI, child neglect, Volusia County, law enforcement, New Smyrna Beach, sheriff’s department, arrest]
