State police have arrested a man who is accused of driving the wrong way on an Interstate 95 exit ramp in Milford while intoxicated on Friday night.
A state trooper who was patrolling the area of I-95 North in Milford around 9:27 p.m. took the exit 40 off-ramp and was approaching the traffic light when they saw headlights heading in their direction, state police said.
When the trooper saw the Ford F350 facing the wrong way in the left-turn lane of the ramp, they turned on the lights and siren and put the cruiser right in front of the truck to keep it from moving and to stop oncoming traffic, state police said.
The driver in the pickup then made a U-turn and merged onto Old Gate Lane, heading west, state police said.
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The state trooper then followed the Ford, stopped it and found the driver eating take-out food.
When the trooper asked the driver why he was going the wrong way on the exit ramp, he said he realized he was going the wrong way and was trying to turn around.
The driver, a 21-year-old Wethersfield man, seemed to struggle to maintain focus while speaking with the trooper, fumbled with paperwork in his lap and handed bundle of documents to the trooper as he continued to eat his food, state police said.
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The driver initially denied having consumed any alcoholic beverages or using any drugs, but later admitted to drinking alcohol and failed to perform field sobriety testing to standard, according to state police.
He was charged with illegal operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol/drugs and driving the wrong way on a divided highway.
He was released on a $1,500 non-surety bond and is scheduled to be arraigned at Milford Superior Court on Oct. 29.
