FRANKLIN, Pa. (EYT) — A Cochranton woman recently waived her preliminary hearing on charges stemming from a traffic stop in Franklin earlier this month.

According to court documents, on Wednesday, June 13, the following charges against 37-year-old Lucy Lou Frantz of Cochranton were waived for court:

– DUI: General Impairment/Incompetent of Driving Safely — 1st Offense, Misdemeanor 1
– Endangering Welfare of Children — Parent/Guardian/Other Commits Offense, Misdemeanor 1
– Resist Arrest/Other Law Enforce, Misdemeanor 2
– Disregard Traffic Lane (Single), Summary

Charges have been transferred to the Venango County Court of Common Pleas.

Frantz was released on $15,000.00 unsecured bail on June 6.

Details of the case:

According to a criminal complaint, around 3:46 p.m. on Sunday, June 3, the Pennsylvania State Police-Franklin barracks received a telephone call from a known citizen who related that they had observed a silver 2003 Chrysler Town & Country driving in an erratic manner. The vehicle was on U.S. 322 coming into Venango County from Mercer/Crawford Counties.

Tpr. Bingman then received updated information that the vehicle was on Atlantic Avenue within the City of Franklin and was able to locate the vehicle and began to follow it through town.

According to the complaint, while following the vehicle Tpr. Bingman observed the following:

– A wide left turn from 13th Street onto Liberty Street that crossed over into the parking area along the right side of the road.
– Driving the entire distance of the 1200 block of Liberty Street with the left tires on the white dotted line that separates the two lanes traveling in the same direction.

Based on his observations and the information that he had received over the police radio indicating poor driving from the operator of the vehicle, Tpr. Bingman initiated a traffic stop to investigate the condition of the driver around 4:17 p.m. on the 1100 block of Liberty Street.

Based on the driver’s license presented, Tpr. Bingman identified the driver as Lucy Lou Frantz and identified her passenger as a known 15-year-old female.

According to the complaint, Tpr. Bingman told Frantz why he had stopped her, and she volunteered to take tests if he wanted her to.

Tpr. Bingman then asked her to exit the vehicle so he could conduct the battery of Standardized Field Sobriety Tests.

The complaint states that clues of intoxication were indicated on the HGN test and Frantz said that she could not do the Walk and Turn Test and the One Leg Stand Test.

According to the complaint, Frantz would not provide an adequate breath sample into a Preliminary Breathe Test.

Troopers Bingman and Fetterman and Lieutenant Campbell of the Franklin City Police then advised Frantz that she was going to be placed under arrest for DUI.

According to the complaint, Frantz resisted the efforts of all three officers and it took a prolonged effort and substantial force to finally handcuff her. The complaint notes that during that time, Frantz spit several times and tried to kick the officers. A leg restraint was used to secure her legs, at which time Frantz went limp and had to be picked up and placed into the rear seat of the marked police vehicle with a spit hood placed on to prevent her from continuing to spit at the officers.

Frantz was then transported to UPMC Northwest where she consented to a blood draw, and the blood was sent to NMS Labs for testing.

Tpr. Bingman spoke via telephone with the known citizen complainant, who related that she was driving on U.S. 322 from Meadville to the Franklin area when, in the area of State Route 173 in Crawford County, the vehicle she reported pulled out in front of her and made a very wide turn that took it into the oncoming lane of traffic. The driver then turned hard back to the right and drove off the right side of the roadway.

The known complainant continued to follow the vehicle and observed it being driving from the white fog line to the center line numerous times. She reported that in the area of Fish Road, the driver pulled off the right side of the road, and she pulled off the right side of the road in front of the other vehicle. She said when the vehicle pulled back onto the road, she did so also, but in front of the vehicle this time, where she stayed until they reached Franklin, where Tpr. Bingman began to follow the vehicle.