Ambien causes 7 car accident.

[Mom of 4]

A Conway woman is charged with DWI and reckless driving after hitting six different cars in Conway on Friday. But a local attorney says she was "sleep driving" after a pharmacy gave her Ambien, the wrong medication.

Ambien is prescribed as a sedative, to help people fall asleep. After the Conway woman was given the wrong prescription, the pharmacy called the salon she worked at several times stating it was an emergency, and they had given her the wrong pills, but it was too late.

On her way to work, 32 year old Jennifer Spaeth picked up her migraine medication at Viiona Drug and Florist. Before stopping at Sonic Drive Thru, she took the recommended dose of what she thought was her normal prescription.

"It was the label of her medication, and Ambien was in the bottle," Attorney Andrew Ballard.

Attorney Andrew Ballard says the side effects kicked in by the time she was leaving Sonic.

"She began backing out of her parking space, struck a vehicle. She pulled forward and struck another vehicle," Lt. Dan Moody with the Conway Police Department said.

"I heard screeching tires and she hit the right side of the back of my car, spinning it right into the menu board, almost knocking it off," Sean Francis said, describing his car being hit.

Sean Francis was working at Sonic when his vehicle became the third victim. But instead of worrying about his car, he was more concerned as he saw Spaeth take off into traffic.

"I was just worried about everyone across the street, because I knew once she crossed the street, it became really dangerous then,” Francis said.

Spaeth crossed Highway 64 east traveling south, hitting another car in the outside lane of traffic, and then another in the inside lane, before ending up in a Shell parking lot where she hit, yet another vehicle.

"It ended up being a total of 6 vehicles her vehicle struck," Moody said.

Police knew something was up after the accident, they say she fell asleep five times when they were questioning her. She was arrested with charges of DWI and reckless driving. Spaeth doesn't remember anything from the time she took the pill, to when she was released from the hospital. But when she learned she had been given Ambien, the wrong medication, she went to an attorney. She hasn't filed any type of lawsuit just yet.

Police say Spaeth's son was in the car with her. He told police his mom was slurring and he was worried about her, so he got out of the car and begged her not to drive. Right now, Spaeth's blood samples have been sent to the state crime lab.


http://arkansasmatters.com/content/fulltext/news/?cid=71585

It will be interesting to see if she is held accountable or not. :sleep2::car:

[w8ng4msrgt]

Just because of this statement I think she should be charged for something.

Police say Spaeth's son was in the car with her. He told police his mom was slurring and he was worried about her, so he got out of the car and begged her not to drive. Right now, Spaeth's blood samples have been sent to the state crime lab.

So she left her son there and continued on? It sounded like a nice reward day for her until that statement.

[Unamused Cat]

At least the son had enough sense to get out of the car. Too bad he didn't grab the keys.

[petrina]

i know someone who would wake up with gummy bears all over the bed - stuck to him like he had been rolling around in them - and a receipt from walmart... all after taking ambien. and no, he doesnt take it any more. but thats some crazy ass stuff for some people who have such reaction.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Ambien is nasty shit! I know for a fact. When you take it, it kicks in relatively quick. I had 20-30 minutes before it kicked in. If you remain "awake", you do appear drunk to someone that does not know you are taking it.

After my second Ambien "blackout", I quit taking it. It can be quite embarrassing if you say or do things and then have no recall of it. Since I stopped, it has been documented that others have had similar experiences. Luckily I never drove, but I did have "interesting" conversations with family members.

What I want to know is WHY THE HELL this woman took it when she wasn't home. Even if it was her regular dose, it was stupid!!! I can't imagine what a larger dose would do. Didn't she notice that the pills looked different from her usual ones???

I buy the Ambien "intoxication" (been there, done that). She should be charged for the mere fact that she took any amount when she knew she had to be driving... and with her kid in the car.

[Mom of 4]

Ambien is nasty shit! I know for a fact. When you take it, it kicks in relatively quick. I had 20-30 minutes before it kicked in. If you remain "awake", you do appear drunk to someone that does not know you are taking it.

After my second Ambien "blackout", I quit taking it. It can be quite embarrassing if you say or do things and then have no recall of it. Since I stopped, it has been documented that others have had similar experiences. Luckily I never drove, but I did have "interesting" conversations with family members.

What I want to know is WHY THE HELL this woman took it when she wasn't home. Even if it was her regular dose, it was stupid!!! I can't imagine what a larger dose would do. Didn't she notice that the pills looked different from her usual ones???

I buy the Ambien "intoxication" (been there, done that). She should be charged for the mere fact that she took any amount when she knew she had to be driving... and with her kid in the car.


She didn't know it was ambien though. It was migraine medication (or it was suppose to be) and if it is something she takes daily there is no drowsiness with a lot of the stuff they give you to prevent migraines. I would like to know how different the pills are in appearance though. I know what my meds look like.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

OOPS Missed that in my "Ambien is nasty" brain fart. She must have had a hell of a migraine if her vision was such that she didn't know what she was taking.

[Mom of 4]

OOPS Missed that in my "Ambien is nasty" brain fart. She must have had a hell of a migraine if her vision was such that she didn't know what she was taking.



Yeah I am curious what the meds were suppose to look like. I have taken just about every migraine medication known to man but I have never taken ambien so I don't know what they look like.

[Countess Olenska]

Ambien was the only reason I slept through the night last night. I didn't make a peanut butter sammich with my phone or anything. I JUST SLEPT.

I can't imagine taking them and driving....craziness.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

I got curious so I looked at just a few Ambien and medications for migraines:
http://i30.tinypic.com/xlfg45.jpg
Of course, different dosages will be different sizes, sometimes (but not always) even different colors. There are many migraine medication but those are just a couple I looked at. Even within them, many look similar.

I can see that she may not have noticed if pill sizes and color are close... especially if she does not take it regularily.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

I didn't make a peanut butter sammich with my phone or anything.
I answered the phone once. Was not a good conversation as I said what was on my mind to my sister. She forgave me.

[~Absynthe~]

OOPS Missed that in my "Ambien is nasty" brain fart. She must have had a hell of a migraine if her vision was such that she didn't know what she was taking.

I agree Ambien is nasty! A friend of mine took it for along time due to insomnia. He would do some of the weirdest things and say things that he would never say with a clear mind. They say that is causes short term amnesia.

The Drug store should hold some accountibilty, but she should also. Although a couple weeks ago I took one of my medications, in a hurry and it wasn't until after I swallowed it that I realized it wasn't the one that I meant to take. It looks close to the one I meant to take, But is a little bigger, same shape and color. My brother thought it was funny, and it was at the time, but it wasn't nothing that could hurt me or anyone else either..

[Mom of 4]

I got curious so I looked at just a few Ambien and medications for migraines:
http://i30.tinypic.com/xlfg45.jpg
Of course, different dosages will be different sizes, sometimes (but not always) even different colors. There are many migraine medication but those are just a couple I looked at. Even within them, many look similar.

I can see that she may not have noticed if pill sizes and color are close... especially if she does not take it regularily.

Those little white ambien ones look like one of the migraine meds I tried. They were for epilepsy which sometimes can prevent migraines when you take them everyday. I don't recall the name of them because they didn't work for me.

I guess I can see taking them in error but shit man after she hit the first car and was groggy she should have stopped. LOL

[Lizard]

My niece (adult) took an Ambien one night; her husband came home from work to find her in hysterics over some perceived evilness coming from the television. She doesn't remember a bit of it.

[SoUncool]

I've heard that Ambien has some other weird side effects too like sleep sex and sleep eating. Damn, the closest I've come to weird stuff like this is when I had a few beers and took a Xanax when I was like 25. Don't remember a thing but my friends sure did. I don't want to talk about it. :tape:

[Countess Olenska]

Guess what I took 20 minutes ago.....

:roll: It's t-minus 20 to me running around with a bowl on my head and making pb&j sandwiches with my phone as the bread.

[swivel]

I took a Benadryl last night and still feel fucked up. I had the craziest damn dreams.

I might try it again tonight.

[CPL CHUD]

If I drink some milk before I go to bed I get crazy dreams.

[Countess Olenska]

You are living on the edge CPL....

[maryhaze]

i take one every nite along with pheno & a bunch of other stuff. my dh wishes he got sleep sex!:bounce:

[Nell]

Late to the party, as usual. Poor, sad me.

Anyway, I took this crap when it first came out. I got up and went downstairs in my sleep, but I don't remember it. I talked to my family and ate, everything. That wouldn't be bad but I thought it wasn't working, so I took more. In my sleep. I ended up pretty much overdosing. When I woke up for like 6 hours I saw flames on the walls and I couldn't walk I was so dizzy. So even though the new extended release tab looks good, I won't risk it.

[Countess Olenska]

I told my husband I wasn't having a few drinks and playing Lego Indiana Jones but i would take an Ambien and fight sleep. He snickered and said something about assaulting me and me not remembering it.

If my tootie is raw tomorrow I'll know the source.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

tootie :rofl: