KATY, Texas – A Katy man decided to record a Facebook live after he saw a driver swerving in and out of traffic, and police said they later arrest a woman because of that video.
“Her crazy driving was not settling at all,” said Micah Hatcher, who recorded the entire incident.
Police arrested 58-year-old Janice McMaster, who lives in Katy, and charged her with felony DWI. Officers said her 12-year-old daughter was also in the truck on Thursday.
"I got in front of her and I looked in the rear-view mirror, and she kind of turned and hit the curb and swerved on the other side and hit a curb, and I noticed there was a passenger in the car,” Hatcher said. "When I turned she kind of looked asleep. That’s what made me wonder why she was sitting at the light, and then I saw a young passenger in the car.”
VIDEO: Katy woman gets DWI after being recorded, followed
McMaster said he noticed the erratic driving near Katy Fort Bend and Morton Road. When they got on to Franz Road, that’s when he called 911.
“After getting off the phone with dispatch, and we turned. We were no longer going the direction I told them we were going," Hatcher said. "It was kind of worrisome, not knowing what was going to happen, which is why I continued to follow."
The video showed a green truck swerving in and out of traffic. At one point, the driver crossed the double line and almost drove into oncoming traffic.
Hatcher said he saw the woman, who police identified as McMaster, pull into a driveway. He said he stopped recording because she was home.
The young father said he was upset when he saw a young girl also get out of the truck.
"Having somebody else in the car, that couldn't do anything about it," Hatcher said. "She couldn't have taken the wheel or driven herself. That's what made me start following and making sure everything was fine by the end of it."
Hatcher’s friends and family were also watching and so were strangers.
"I figured with the new day and age, cops, they're always looking at Facebook and everything else, so I figured doing a Facebook Live would get more immediate attention," Hatcher said.
Katy police said an officer saw the video and contacted Hatcher.
Officers performed a wellness check at McMaster’s home, but no one was there, and they didn’t see the truck she was driving in the video. As police were leaving, they said, officers spotted McMasters speeding and arrested her.
"I am not happy about the situation and what happened at all," Hatcher said. "I am happy something was done about it, and hopefully she learns from her mistake.”
Court records show McMaster posted bond and had a hearing scheduled for Monday.
Police said when Hatcher initially called, he was in Harris County and dispatch didn’t transfer over the call, which is why Katy police did not immediately respond.