Police: DWI Arrest May Have Saved Sheila Mara's Life

PORT CHESTER, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Police in Westchester County say they may have saved the life of a member of the famed Mara family -- the owners of the New York Giants -- last weekend when they arrested her for allegedly driving while intoxicated.

Sheila Mara, the daughter of late Giants owner Wellington Mara, was headed back home to Connecticut after celebrating her 52nd birthday when she missed a "do not enter" sign on King Street in Port Chester and collided head-on with a taxi cab, police told CBS 2's Lou Young. Authorities say an officer then watched as she backed up, drove around the cab and kept going.

Mara didn't seem to notice the flashing lights as police followed her for several miles at speeds that never exceeded 45 mph. A squad car eventually pulled ahead of her and forced her to stop as she approached the Merritt Parkway Entrance.

"It's a recipe for death, not only for her, but for others" Port Chester police Capt. John Tedesco said. "The Merritt late at night is a treacherous road when you've been drinking. Thank God we were able to stop her when we did."

Police say Mara was polite, but very drunk. She had a blood-alcohol level of .22 percent, authorities said. At her weight of 125 pounds, experts say Mara had enough alcohol in her system to account for seven drinks in a one-hour period.

Mara has been charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated, driving the wrong way and leaving the scene of an accident, police said.

Mara's daughter answered the door at her home Wednesday, but said her mother was visiting relatives in advance of a Thanksgiving gathering.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories