A Woodbury woman was found slumped over the steering wheel of her vehicle at a busy intersection with the car still in drive, then accelerated into a police squad car before failing multiple field sobriety tests, according to charges.

Jessica Stadler, 50, faces two felony charges: third-degree drug possession and driving while under the influence of a controlled substance, according to a complaint filed Tuesday in Washington County District Court.

According to the complaint, a Woodbury police officer responded at 7:28 a.m. on August 2, 2026, to the intersection of the northbound 494 ramp at Lake Road after noticing a vehicle that had not moved for several light cycles. The officer found Stadler slumped over the steering wheel, apparently asleep and drooling, with the vehicle still in drive. When the officer approached, Stadler woke up and accelerated her vehicle into the squad car’s push bumper.

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The officer asked Stadler to put her vehicle in park and checked on her well-being. Stadler told the officer she had fallen asleep because she was tired after spending the night in the hospital with a relative. She provided a route home that did not make sense to the officer and denied having any medical issues or taking any medications.

The complaint states that Stadler showed signs of impairment, including constricted pupils and balance issues. The officer administered several field sobriety tests. Stadler exhibited lack of smooth pursuit and sustained nystagmus in both eyes during the horizontal gaze nystagmus test.

During the walk and turn test, she failed to step heel-to-toe, used her arms for balance and took the incorrect number of steps. On the one leg stand test, she put her leg down before 30 seconds and said, “I can’t do this.” A preliminary breath test showed a result of .000.

Stadler was arrested and placed in the back of a squad car. Officers searched her vehicle and found a small clear glass vial containing a white powdery substance in her purse, along with a plastic baggie of a similar substance and rolled one- and five-dollar bills with white powder on them. A Treasure Island card with Stadler’s name was also found.

Testing by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension revealed 4.574 grams and 1.044 grams of fentanyl in the substances recovered from Stadler’s purse. A search warrant was obtained for Stadler’s blood, which tested positive for .006 mg/L of methamphetamine.

Stadler is charged with third-degree drug possession for possessing more than three grams of heroin or a similar controlled substance, and with driving while under the influence of a controlled substance.

The charge was filed Tuesday. A court date has not yet been set.

About This Charge

Minnesota’s controlled-substance statutes are organized in five degrees under § 152.021 through § 152.025. First-degree possession or sale carries up to 30 years in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence depending on quantity. Fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin are all Schedule I or II controlled substances triggering the highest-degree statutes.

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Jurisdictional Context

Washington County, on the eastern edge of the Twin Cities metro, is served by the Washington County Attorney’s Office through the Tenth Judicial District. Felony cases are heard at the Washington County Government Center in Stillwater.