Virginia Woman Drank Toilet Water To Beat DUI Breath Test, Police Say

Virginia Woman Drank Toilet Water To Beat DUI Breath Test, Police Say
A Dry Toilet In A Bunker Showroom Of The Deutsches Schutzraum Zentrum (dsz) In Fuerstenfeldbruck
A dry toilet in a bunker showroom of the Deutsches Schutzraum-Zentrum (DSZ) in Fuerstenfeldbruck, Germany, June 3, 2026. REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth

A Charlottesville, Virginia woman attempted to sabotage her alcohol breath test by drinking liquid from a jail toilet bowl. Police say 43-year-old Erin Elizabeth Hoopes, a former Trump Winery employee, scooped urine-containing toilet water and drank it, resetting the required 20-minute observation period. The October 31 arrest followed allegations that Hoopes crashed her red Mini Cooper into a parked police cruiser at an existing crash scene, smelled strongly of alcohol, and resisted handcuffing. Despite her efforts, a later breath test revealed a blood alcohol level of 0.26 — more than triple Virginia’s legal limit. Hoopes pleaded guilty to second-offense DUI and hit-and-run. “She’s very remorseful, and she’s working on her problems,” her attorney told the Daily Progress. Sentencing is scheduled Friday in Albemarle Circuit Court. Story URL