A Carson City woman, who lost control of her car and struck a deputy in blizzard-like conditions Thursday night, was arrested for allegedly being under the influence and in possession of heroin.
Cecilia Rose Norma Ristau, 19, was booked into the Carson City Jail at 9:37 p.m. on suspicion of felony possession of heroin, misdemeanor driving under the influence of heroin, speed too fast for conditions and possession of drug paraphernalia.
According to the arrest report, Deputy Dan Ochsenschlager was on the freeway overpass just north of the Carson Street exit setting up flares for an accident that had happened about 8:30 p.m.
Ristau, driving a Saturn Ion and carrying three passengers, was driving southbound on the overpass when she lost control about 9:10 p.m., careening toward Ochsenschlager, the report states.
The deputy, who saw the car coming at him, tried to run toward the concrete divider to jump over, but was unable to make it. The Saturn spun sideways and hit Ochsenschlager in the legs, and he was flipped over the hood and onto the ground.
Ochsen-schlager was treated and released from Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center with minor injuries.
When officers contacted Ristau and her occupants, all allegedly had red watery eyes and slurred speech.
When asked about a hypodermic needle allegedly protruding from her sweatshirt pocket, Ristau initially said she used the needle for insulin injections, but upon further questioning, Ristau allegedly admitted she injected heroin earlier in the day and took a prescription medication for heroin addiction, the report states.
An officer also allegedly located suspected heroin in Ristau's purse and empty heroin balloons littering her vehicle.
When a drug sniffing dog alerted on a green bag belonging to passenger Eric Augustus Segan, 24, deputies allegedly recovered marijuana, a new package of hypodermic needles and a spoon with burnt residue - paraphernalia commonly used to prepare heroin for injection.
Ristau's bail is set at $2,500.
Segan is being held on $1,864.
The Ochsenschlager accident happened as he was helping a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper who had also been involved in an accident.
According to Trooper Dan Lopez, Trooper Don Dunmore happened upon an accident near the southbound off ramp to Carson Street.
While investigating the first accident, an approaching Hyundai lost control and ended up blocking the offramp. A white van driving too fast for conditions also lost control striking the Hyundai, the Hyundai then struck the NHP vehicle with Dunmore inside, sending the patrol car sliding into another vehicle. Dunmore sustained minor injuries and was taken to Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center for precautionary measures. This accident still is being investigated by the Nevada Highway Patrol.
