Texas DPS error convicts woman of DUI and wrongfully suspends her license

CLEVELAND, Texas (KTRK) -- A visit to the Texas Department of Public Safety branch created a real scare for a Liberty County woman.

"I didn't do anything," she said. "But I was denied getting my license renewed, and I was accused of a crime, and apparently, for three months my license was suspended."

She doesn't want us to reveal her identity.

She called Eyewitness News after she received a piece of paper Wednesday at the DPS office in Liberty County.

It said her license was suspended in 2012, and in order to get a new one, she owed the state $125.

"I realized, this thing says I was arrested, and I had a blood alcohol level of .08 or more," she said.

She never was arrested for drinking and driving.

She was told a DPS employee entered her license number, instead of someone else who did receive a DUI near the northeast Texas border.

"I guess it was kind of good it was me because I was able to work through it quickly, but it took a few hours, still what if it happened to somebody else," she said.

DPS said it's working to make sure it doesn't.

The agency sent Eyewitness News a statement:

"There was an inadvertent error made on the customer's record, which temporarily prevented her from renewing her license. We apologize for the error and the inconvenience. Her record was corrected and she was able to renew her license that same day. We will be meeting with all employees to reiterate the importance of attention to detail that is necessary in every case processed."

An action the Liberty County woman said needs to take place.

"These things can happen to you and you don't even know what's going on," she said.

ABC13 reached out to the county where the woman learned the DUI took place. Our calls to the sheriff's office weren't returned.