Infant on Runway: Phoenix Woman Drives Recklessly on Airport Runway with 2-year-old Son, Impaired Mother Found with Pacifier in Mouth

According to reports, 21-year-old Koko Nicole Anderson from Arizona took her two-year-old infant son on one heck of a ride on Thursday (Nov. 15), when the young, troubled mother crashed through the gates of the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and began recklessly driving on the airport's runway. After the dangerous incident Anderson was arrested and charged with an aggravated DUI and criminal damages - police suspect that she had taken some sort of unknown drug. While the infant boy in the backseat went unharmed and was promptly turned over to relatives, law enforcement believe that Anderson was so impaired she didn't even know her son was in the car with her.

Anderson smashed her Saturn Sedan through some partially opened gates at approximately 10 p.m. on Thursday, and began driving recklessly right onto an airfield access road and flight line. According to Sky Harbor spokeswoman Deborah Ostreicher who spoke at a press conference on Friday, an airport operations worker was testing the gate as it was closing when Anderson barged through. The worker promptly notified police and the control tower - airport operations were shut down for 15 minutes while officers forced Anderson to stop her vehicle before detaining her.

Anderson initially lost control of her Sedan when she first hit the runway, but promptly hit the gas and led police on a wild chase. A probable cause statement claims that Anderson hit a portable toilet and continued driving - an officer finally rammed her car, causing it to spin and crash into a nearby fence. Anderson remained inside the vehicle after it crashed - police found her with a pacifier in her month. The only excuse she gave for her erratic actions was that she wanted her flip-flop shoe back.

Fortunately no flight crews or aircraft were around the runway when the incident occurred.

Anderson's mother Bebe insists that her daughter has a history of mental illness - she suffers from bipolar disorder and "needs to be on the right medication."  Bebe Anderson believes that Koko Nichole was unaware her baby son was even in the car with her. But the most important thing is the infant came out of the experience unharmed and is now in safe hands.

Following her arrest, Anderson will be further evaluated for her mental condition.

According to police spokesman Sgt. Trent Crump, "We don't believe her intent was to harm here. We believe it's impairment and poor decision making."

Ostreicher insists that Sky Harbor airport operators are satisfied with its fence security and that they exceed federal security standards - the airport has no plans to enhance fence security, but will work with federal authorities to see if there are things that can be done to make sure such a hazardous incident doesn't happen again. "The important thing to know here is that what was supposed to happen happened," Ostreicher said.