State police have arrested a Hartford woman who is accused of driving under the influence with three children and a dog in the car.
The investigation started when state police received several 911 calls around 7:50 p.m. Tuesday about an erratic driver on Interstate 91 South in Wethersfield.
When troopers responded, the driver had pulled over to the shoulder near exit 21 in Cromwell. The SUV’s lights were off and someone who had called 911 had pulled over in front of the vehicle to keep it from going, according to state police.
The witness told police that no lights were on when the driver passed than and the vehicle was did not stay in its lane, made unsafe lane changes and nearly hit other vehicles.
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The driver, a 36-year-old Hartford woman, had a 3-year-old, a 9-year-old and a 17-year-old in the car and no child safety restraint systems were used, according to state police.
There was also a dog in the SUV.
State police said the driver smelled of alcohol and her eyes were glossy and bloodshot.
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Troopers asked her if she had consumed alcohol prior to driving and she said she had not, according to police.
They determined that the woman’s license privilege was suspended, the registration plate on the Volvo SUV belonged to another vehicle the SUV was unregistered and uninsured.
When state police asked the driver to step out of the vehicle, she had difficulty keeping her balance and used the left side of the vehicle for support as she walked toward the rear, then she failed sobriety testing.
She was arrested and charged with operating/parking an unregistered motor vehicle, misuse of registration plate, illegal operation of a motor vehicle without minimum insurance, illegal operation of a motor vehicle under suspension, illegal operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drugs, three counts of OUI with child passenger and failure to maintain proper lane-limited access highway.
Police said tests revealed that her blood alcohol content was over the legal limit and the driver admitted after she was arrested that she had consumed alcohol.
The children who were in the vehicle were safely transported off of the highway and the Department of Children and Families was advised of what happened.
Police said the driver was released from custody on a $5,000 bond and is scheduled to appear at Middletown Superior Court on Dec. 9.
