How far would someone go to avoid a drunk driving conviction?

Police say one Charlottesville woman went so far as to drink urine-contaminated toilet water in a desperate bid to foil an alcohol test.

Nevertheless, the criminal case against former Trump Winery employee Erin Elizabeth Hoopes, 43, continues to move forward.

As a tow truck backed into position to retrieve a damaged vehicle, Layman said, he had his vehicle's emergency lights activated. And that's when he saw danger.

"I observed a red Mini Cooper traveling north," he wrote. "I then observed the Mini Cooper continue to travel in my direction without slowing down or stopping."

The little car, he said, barely missed the tow truck and seemed headed for him.

"I threw my patrol unit into reverse," wrote Layman.

However, his evasive action failed, and the Mini Cooper struck his patrol vehicle.

Layman reported that he then activated his siren and chased down the Mini Cooper. He said it came to a stop near Simeon.

"I detected a strong odor of alcoholic beverage coming from the vehicle," wrote Layman.

Layman reported that he had Hoopes in custody at 6:48 p.m., but that she was resisting getting handcuffed.

"Pulling wrists away, jerking," he wrote, "resisting my efforts, yelling."

Things would get weird at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail. While there was no female attendant available, Hoopes allegedly advised that she "very badly" needed a bathroom visit.

"Hoopes continued to exclaim," Layman wrote, "that she had to use the restroom and advised that she didn't care if I escorted her to the restroom."

To ensure a legally valid alcohol breath test, Virginia law mandates a 20-minute observation period prior to the test to prevent eating, drinking and even burping that could affect the results. Layman said he advised Hoopes not to drink anything and decided to leave the bathroom door cracked so he could keep watch on the sink. And then it happened.

"Hoopes used the restroom and while standing back up, placed her hands inside of the toilet, scooped up the mixture of water and urine and consumed it," wrote Layman, who reported that he had his body-worn camera activated.

If the officer was shocked by what he and his camera witnessed, his report gives no such indication.

"The observation period," he dryly noted, "was then started over."

The ensuing certificate of analysis shows a blood alcohol level of 0.26, a level more than three times the legal limit of 0.08.

Hoopes' employer, Trump Winery, is the largest winery in Virginia and is operated by Eric Trump, son of President Donald Trump. The crash site lies about 4 miles to the winery's north. The Daily Progress' repeated calls to winery general manager Kerry Woolard were not returned.

In addition to getting charged with second-offense DUI and hit-and-run, court records show that Hoopes was also initially charged with obstruction of justice and driving without a license. The latter two charges were dropped as her case advanced.

Hoopes' prior DUI conviction came in Orange County in 2023. That case had complications, according to the court record.

In 2024, Hoopes was brought back to Orange General District Court for failing to comply with her court-ordered participation in the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program, or VASAP, an alcohol safety program. Judges can activate suspended jail time, revoke a driver's license and extend probation. However, the only punishment handed to Hoopes, according to online records, was a bill for $96 in court costs.

Her lawyer in the current case, Scott Goodman, suggests that the incident has served as a call for personal reform.

"She's very remorseful, and she's working on her problems, so she doesn't have to go through something like this again," Goodman told The Daily Progress. "Thank God nobody was hurt and there wasn't much property damage."

Hoopes' fate on her pending charges now stands with Albemarle Circuit Court. Court records show she attempted to obtain bail on July 30, about two weeks after her July 13 submission of guilty pleas, but her bid for freedom was rejected. She remains held at the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail with her sentencing set for next Friday.

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