Police find open bottle of alcohol in MTSU professor's car; charges pending

Police found an open container of alcohol in the car of an MTSU professor Thursday after she was reported for erratic driving by witnesses.

Campus police and witnesses identified Belinda Traughber, a professor in the department of psychology, as the suspect.

"It was the most bizarre behavior I have ever witnessed while waiting for police," said Karen Demonbreun, witness and executive secretary for the Honors College. "She was sitting in her car, music turned up loud, taking on and off her seatbelt, playing with the controls of her car, turning her blinkers on and off and leaning in and out of her car window."

Traughber was taken by ambulance to Middle Tennessee Medical Center from the parking lot located behind the Paul W. Martin Sr. Honors College Building.

"The officer told us she was babbling when the officer first went up to talk to her," said Kelly Trowbridge, witness and daughter of Demonbreun. "The officer came over to me to relay the information and said the woman had said she was drinking and talking about weed."

Trowbridge also said the police officer mentioned something about Traughber possibly being on medication not remembering if she had taken it.

Both Demonbreun and Trowbridge first spotted Traughber at the intersection of Rutherford Boulevard and East Main Street, but saw the professor minutes later on campus.

"We were sitting at the light to turn left onto Main from Rutherford when we saw her turning left from Main onto Rutherford," Demonbreun said.

After Traughber turned onto Rutherford at about 30 mph, she jumped the median and continued to drive even after she hit a street sign, Demonbreun said.

"We lost sight of her after she hit the sign but saw her again at the four way stop next to the Honors Building," Demonbreun said. "My daughter and I said, 'Oh my god, that's the same woman!'"

Trowbridge called campus police after she and her mother saw Traughber park her car.

"She parked cockeyed about one foot from the car to her left and just sat in her car," Trowbridge said.

City officials arrived on the scene around 2:20 p.m. and paramedics took Traughber to MTMC about 10 minutes later, Demonbreun said.

When police inspected the vehicle, they discovered an opened bottle of alcohol, said Demonbreum.

"We did not see her drinking," Demonbreun said.

Murfreesboro City Police said charges against Traughber are pending further investigation of the incident.

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