A Utah woman was recently arrested after allegedly picking up her child from daycare with a blood alcohol level more than eight times the legal limit.
The Utah County Sheriff’s Office arrested Whitney Jensen, 39, on suspicion of driving under the influence with a passenger under the age of 16, a Class A misdemeanor, on Jan. 22. She was also charged with open container/drinking alcohol in a vehicle, a Class C misdemeanor.
Jensen picked up her child, whose age is not known, last Thursday evening. A daycare employee believed Jensen was severely impaired and called the Orem Police Department. Officers found Jensen in the driver’s seat and the child improperly restrained.
“Whitney had a sway and [was] unable to keep her footing,” the UCSO deputy wrote. “While speaking with Whitney, she had a slur and was unable to finish her sentences. I also observed a strong odor of alcohol coming from her breath.”
Start the first week of the new year with a commitment to safe driving. 🚘⤵️ pic.twitter.com/XpBxJTuuWY
— nhtsagov (@NHTSAgov) January 5, 2026
Jensen then refused a field sobriety test, and officers found several open containers in her car. Upon arriving at the Utah County Jail, Jensen provided a sample, and her blood alcohol content was 0.419%. The legal limit in Utah is 0.05%. As of January 2026, Utah is the only state with a BAC limit lower than 0.08%.
Following the test, Jensen was temporarily taken to a local hospital for testing. She was then returned to jail.
Further information on Jensen’s arrest and the pending legal process was unavailable as of publication. It is also unclear if she still has custody of the child.
Drunk driving can cost you your:
🔴 License
🔴 Money
🔴 Freedom
🔴 Life — or someone else’s pic.twitter.com/M8XcennKHc
— nhtsagov (@NHTSAgov) December 12, 2025
The employee who called the police has not been identified, and it is also unknown whether the daycare initially resisted giving Jensen her child back, especially if she was as intoxicated as the police report indicates. Additionally, it is unclear how the child got home or where they spent the night if they did not return home immediately.
Driving while impaired remains a significant problem in the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, roughly 30% of all traffic fatalities in 2023 involved at least one driver who was alcohol-impaired. The NHTSA estimated that one alcohol-impaired driving fatality occurred every 42 minutes in 2023.
It is unclear whether this is Jensen’s first DUI arrest. Utah state laws for DUI include jail time, fines, suspended driver’s licenses, and mandatory alcohol and drug screenings and assessments. Additionally, Jensen may be required to temporarily use an ignition interlock device because her BAC exceeded 0.16%. An ignition interlock device, or IID, is a breathalyzer wired to a vehicle’s ignition system.
Ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft are excellent ways to avoid driving while impaired and putting yourself and others at risk. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers free, confidential, 24/7 support in English and Spanish at 1-800-662-4357. Alternatively, you can text your five-digit ZIP code to 435748 (HELP4U) to access the service.
