SPRINGTOWN, Texas, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- A Texas toddler used her mother's cellphone to call for help after the woman passed out while driving on a rural road due to alleged drug use, police said.
Alicia Pruitt, 24, of Springtown, Texas, about 25 miles northwest of Fort Worth, was driving a Dodge pickup when she pulled over to the side of the road Friday and passed out. Her 4-year-old daughter used the woman's cellphone to call a relative, saying her mother was asleep, Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler said.
The relative rushed to the scene to find Pruitt slumped over the steering wheel of the truck with the engine running and her foot on the brake pedal, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. The relative called deputies who arrived and charged the woman with public intoxication, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance.
Pruitt told deputies she had ingested illegally obtained prescription pills and synthetic marijuana called "K-2."
Fowler credited the little girl for taking action when she saw something was wrong.
"This small child was incredibly intelligent and brave," Fowler said. "At only 4 years of age, she knew to dial for help, taking a responsibility initiative beyond her tender years. There is no telling what could have happened to this child, had she not been able to call for help."
The child was placed in relatives' care.
