Maria Stein Woman Charged with Child Endangerment and OVI Following Roadside Incident

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A Maria Stein woman is facing multiple charges after authorities say she was found passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle with a young child inside.

According to court records from the Mercer County Court of Common Pleas, 43-year-old Lori A. Schmackers has been charged with Endangering Children (a fifth-degree felony) and Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence (a first-degree misdemeanor) following an incident on October 22, 2025.

The Mercer County Sheriff’s Office reports that deputies were dispatched around 1:48 p.m. to the intersection of Saint Peter Road and Fox Road after receiving a call about a female driver slumped over at a stop sign with a child in the vehicle. When officers arrived, they found Schmacker appearing disoriented, with slurred speech and glassy eyes.

Authorities say Fort Recovery Police Chief Jared Laux and several bystanders were already on scene, and the child had been safely moved to a witness’s vehicle. After field sobriety tests were conducted, Schmackers was placed under arrest and taken to the Mercer County Detention Facility, where she reportedly refused a breath alcohol test.

Investigators noted that Schmackers has prior convictions for OVI and Endangering Children, both from December 2019 in Celina Municipal Court.