UPDATE: Auto Heiress Waives Arraignment, Pretrial April 28

Elena Ford, an heiress to the Ford empire, waived arraignment Tuesday in Ferndale's 43rd District Court on charges of driving while intoxicated and child endangerment, but she is expected to appear in Ferndale for a pretrial hearing this month.

Ford was not at the courthouse Tuesday morning.

Ford, 44, of Birmingham was arrested Sunday evening with a blood-alcohol level of 0.18, according to the report. The legal limit is 0.08. Ford is the director of global marketing, sales and services at Ford Motor Co., the company her great-great-grandfather founded.

At 9:50 p.m. Sunday, a Ferndale Police officer spotted a vehicle traveling north on Woodward Avenue, near Nine Mile Road. The vehicle, a Ford Explorer, was traveling at 50 mph in a 35 mph zone, the officer reported.

"The vehicle briefly went over the curb at one point and returned to the roadway," Ferndale Police Chief Tim Collins said. "The officer stopped the vehicle near Cambourne Street and made contact with the driver, Elena Anne Ford."

The officer reported that Ford showed signs of intoxication and had her 11-year-old son in the back seat.

"I saw that her eyes were glassy and watery and that her face was flushed red," the officer wrote in the report. The officer asked Ford what made her car go up on the curb.

"Elena said, 'I was trying to use the phone,' " the officer reported. "Her speech was slurred." Ford told the officer that she had had two drinks.

Five field sobriety tests were performed on Ford, according to the report. The officer had her recite the alphabet, count back from 100 to 80, touch her fingertips to her thumb, a horizontal gaze nystagmus (basically measuring eye jerkiness), as well as a Breathalyzer.

Irregularities were reported in each test, concluding with Ford sucking in instead of blowing out during the Breathalyzer test.

The officer then arrested Ford for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, according to the report. The son was transported in a separate car to the Ferndale Police Department and was released to Ford's attorney Todd Flood, per Ford's request.

Ford was held for several hours and released on $500 cash bond, Collins said.

"Ms. Ford was cooperative with Ferndale Police personnel and did not request, nor did she receive, special treatment," Collins said.

Ford will appear at 11 a.m. April 28 in Ferndale's 43rd District Court for a pretrial hearing.