By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- Erin Elizabeth Hoopes, 43, was arrested after her vehicle collided with a Charlottesville Police cruiser occupied by an officer.
- The responding officer reported a strong odor of alcohol and said Hoopes resisted being handcuffed.
- While in custody at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail, Hoopes interfered with the state’s mandated 20-minute pre-breath-test observation period, requiring the officer to restart it; her subsequent breath test showed a blood alcohol level of 0.26, more than three times the legal limit.
- Hoopes faces charges of second-offense DUI and hit-and-run; additional charges of obstruction of justice and driving without a license were later dropped.
- Hoopes submitted guilty pleas on July 13; her case remains before Albemarle Circuit Court, with sentencing scheduled for next Friday.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — A Charlottesville woman faces second-offense DUI and hit-and-run charges after a crash involving a police cruiser, according to court records and a police report.
Officer Layman reported that his patrol vehicle, with emergency lights activated near a tow truck retrieval, was struck by a vehicle driven by Erin Elizabeth Hoopes, 43. Layman said he attempted to reverse out of the vehicle’s path before the collision occurred. He then pursued and stopped the vehicle, reporting a strong odor of alcohol and noting that Hoopes resisted being taken into custody.
At the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail, Hoopes’ conduct during the state-mandated 20-minute observation period preceding a breath test required the officer to restart the observation window, according to the police report. Virginia law requires the waiting period, during which a suspect must not eat, drink or otherwise risk skewing test results, before an evidentiary breath test can be administered. Hoopes’ subsequent breath test recorded a blood alcohol content of 0.26, more than three times Virginia’s legal limit of 0.08.
Hoopes was initially charged with obstruction of justice and driving without a license in addition to the DUI and hit-and-run counts; the two additional charges were later dropped as the case proceeded. She had a prior DUI conviction from Orange County in 2023 and was returned to court in 2024 for noncompliance with a court-ordered alcohol safety program, though records show she was ultimately assessed only court costs.
Hoopes’ attorney, Scott Goodman, said she is “very remorseful” and is “working on her problems.” Hoopes submitted guilty pleas on July 13 and was denied bail on July 30. She remains held at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail, with sentencing scheduled for next Friday in Albemarle Circuit Court.