SALT LAKE CITY — What began as a charming souvenir from a European vacation ended in flashing lights on Highland Drive for one unsuspecting Utah mom.
Heather Whitmore, a 38-year-old mother of three from Olympus Cove, had just returned from a short trip to Europe with her family when she discovered a new favorite treat: Mon Chéri chocolates — bite-sized confections filled with cherry brandy. “They were everywhere in Italy,” Heather said. “I didn’t realize they had real liquor in them. They just tasted fancy.”
Back in Utah, she spotted the same chocolates at a small international grocery near Sugar House and bought several boxes. Over the next few days, she began carrying them in her purse, popping one or two during errands or while waiting in long carpool lines.
But on Tuesday afternoon, after a chaotic round of school pickups and driving her kids to dance, karate, and gymnastics, Heather lost track of how many she had eaten. “I was just snacking,” she later told police. “I didn’t think of them as alcohol. I was thinking of them as … European.”
Heather was pulled over while going 63 miles per hour in a 35-mph zone on Highland Drive. According to the police report, the officer noticed the distinct smell of alcohol in the vehicle and spotted dozens of red foil wrappers scattered across the front seat and cup holders. Her three children sat quietly in the back, absorbed in iPads and snacks, unaware their mom was being asked to step out of the vehicle.
Heather failed a breathalyzer test, blowing over twice the legal limit of 0.05%, Utah’s notably strict threshold. Under state law, any driver suspected of DUI with children in the car may be charged with an enhanced penalty. Officers contacted the Division of Child and Family Services, who determined that since the children were safe and unharmed, they could remain on site until a sober guardian arrived.
That guardian turned out to be her husband, Steve, who arrived 20 minutes later in a golf shirt and work slacks, reportedly looking “very calm for someone whose wife just got busted for too much chocolate.”
News spread quickly in the neighborhood. “We thought she was the most wholesome one on the block,” said a neighbor who asked to remain anonymous. “Always on time. Always at the bake sales. Always in charge of centerpieces at Relief Society events. I didn’t even know those chocolates were allowed in the US.”
The international market that sold Heather the Mon Chéri chocolates has since added a small sign near the display: “Contains Real Brandy. Please don’t eat while driving.”
Heather is not facing jail time, but she’s been cited with DUI and reckless driving. She’s currently enrolled in a six-week substance education course and has promised, in her words, “to stick with Lindt from now on.”
Her case has prompted quiet discussions among local parents about Utah’s DUI laws, European candies, and what actually counts as alcohol.
“It’s a reminder,” one mom said at school pickup the next day, “that even burnout from back-to-back kids’ activities has a blood alcohol limit. Honestly, between carpool, casseroles, and church assignments, we’re all one chocolate away from a misdemeanor.” U
*Photo by Joseph Etchingham on Unsplash
Editor’s Note: This article is a work of satire and is intended for entertainment and commentary purposes only. While it may reference real places or echo real events, the characters and situations are fictionalized for humor and reflection. At Utah Stories, we believe that sometimes the absurd reveals more truth than the facts alone.
