HARTFORD – Police arrested a woman and charged her with a DUI after seeing her driving the wrong way on Route 9.
On Friday morning at around 2:20 a.m., police went to Route 9 in Middletown for a reported wrong-way driver.
When they got there, they said they saw a grey 2002 Honda CRV going the wrong direction, north in the southbound lanes.
An officer positioned his cruiser in front of the Honda, however the driver swerved around the cruiser and continued in the wrong way on the curved ramp towards Interstate 91. Police forced the Honda to a stop on the I-91 southbound exit 22 ramp in Cromwell where they determined the driver was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
The woman driving agreed to and failed a field sobriety tests and was then arrested.
Jennifer West, 47, of Tolland, was charged with reckless driving, disobeying the signal of an officer, driving the wrong way on a divided highway, reckless endangerment, and operating under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
West was released after posting $2,500 bail and is scheduled to appear in court on September 21.
Police want you to keep safe by knowing what to do if you see a wrong-way driver:
- Slow down and safely move to the right or to the shoulder. If there is no shoulder, move as far right as possible.
- If is can be avoided, do not slam on your brakes, especially if there is a car directly behind you, and do not swerve off the road or into other lanes.
- Honk the horn, flash your car’s headlights, and turn on the hazard lights. It’s possible that you mat be able to make the wrong-way driver aware that they are traveling in the wrong direction.
- As soon as it is safe to do so, call 911 and report the wrong-way driver. Be sure to give your location including direction of travel and closest exit. And if you are able to, provide a description of the car.
- Never turn around and follow a wrong-way driver.
- It’s good practice when driving on the highway at night, especially after midnight, to travel in the right lane. Wrong-way drivers often travel in the left lane thinking they are in the right lane for their direction of travel.
- Please remember that not all wrong-way drivers are under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Some may be experiencing a medical emergency, while others could be disoriented or confused by signage.
