VERNAL — A woman is facing two counts of attempted manslaughter after police say she fired a gun at another vehicle while allegedly driving drunk.

Uintah County prosecutors have also filed two alternative charges of aggravated assault against Terri Lannette Gray, as well as misdemeanor counts of DUI and possession of a dangerous weapon while under the influence of alcohol.

According to court records, Gray was stopped by a Roosevelt police officer on June 16 after other motorists called dispatchers to report that she was driving recklessly on U.S. Highway 40. The officer said he detected an odor of alcohol on the Vernal woman's breath and said she told him she believed she was in Arizona.

Court records state that during the traffic stop two cars pulled up and the four individuals in those vehicles provided the officer with statements about Gray's driving. The witnesses told the officer they heard a loud bang as one of the cars passed Gray's vehicle. The car had an apparent bullet hole in its passenger side door, the officer said.

Gray allegedly failed field sobriety tests and was arrested on suspicion of DUI. During a search of her car, the officer said he found a .38-caliber revolver with four live rounds and one spent casing in the chamber.

The charges against Gray are not her first involving allegations of drunken driving or violent behavior. Law enforcement records indicate previous arrests for investigation of DUI, weapons offenses, simple assault and aggravated assault.

In December 2008, according to state court records, Gray pleaded guilty to threatening or using a dangerous weapon in a fight. She was given a suspended jail sentence of 30 days and fined $150.

Gray also pleaded guilty in May 2002 to driving with a measurable amount of a controlled substance in her body in exchange for the dismissal of a DUI charge. In that case she received a 90-day suspended jail sentence and a $500 fine.

Gray made her initial court appearance Wednesday on the attempted manslaughter charges. She is being held in the Uintah County Jail on $25,000 bond.

EMAIL: geoff@ubstandard.com