UPDATE: State Rep. Comey, Charged With DUI After Crash, Apologizes: PD

BRANFORD, CT — State Rep. Robin Comey issued the following statement on Saturday morning.

“I want to apologize to my constituents, my colleagues in the CT General Assembly, my family and friends for my DUI arrest on Thursday night. After much reflection and with the support of my family, starting today, I will begin treatment to better understand the disease that is addiction and to get the help I recognize I need. I am deeply grateful in advance to everyone for giving me the time and support I need.”

BRANFORD, CT — Branford's state Rep. Robin Comey was arrested and charged with driving under the influence near the state Capitol Thursday night, according to Hartford police.

Hartford police spokesperson Lt. Boisvert said she was charged with driving under the influence and declined further comment.

According to a report citing House Democrats, she was arrested after the car she was driving crashed and flipped on Capitol Avenue in Hartford. Boisvert said that police are not providing specific details on the crash and arrest, but a hard-copy report on the incident would be made available.

News 12 CT obtained a copy of the report late Friday morning. In it, police noted that Comey's black Honda Civic was "upside down in the middle of the roadway" and that she "reeked of alcohol."

The report reads that Comey refused medical treatment, told police she didn't know what happened, and, police said, she lost her balance and when she was asked again what led up to crash, she had a "blank stare." She told police, "I don’t know. I was heading home from uhh," the report reads.

Police said her speech was slow, and she was "having a difficult time forming sentences." She eventually said she was "heading home from a restaurant," but could not tell police which restaurant, or declined to, according to the report.

When asked, she said she had not eaten dinner at the restaurant. She submitted to field sobriety tests and while doing so, police said, "she began to sway losing her balance and stumbling to catch herself. And she had difficulty understanding what the police were asking her to do during a second and third field sobriety test, the report reads.

She was put in "double lock handcuffs," according to police. At first declining to do a breathalyzer test and after asking what happens if she doesn’t, she eventually did and police wrote she blew a 0.1446. The legal limit is 0.08.

Democrat Comey is the Assistant Majority Whip and sits on the Committee on Children, and Education and Human Services committees.

In June 2021, she was singled out after a legislative session was scuttled when she struggled to speak on her bill advocating for early childhood education services. She apologized, saying a combination of anxiety, exhaustion, and wine at dinner was to blame for her inability to carry on.

In an emailed statement to Patch at the time, she said that what happened then was an anomaly.

“This type of behavior is not typical for me,” Comey said in 2021. “I take full responsibility for my error in judgment.”

At the time, Comey said that while she was speaking on the bill, of which she is a primary author, that she “suddenly and unexpectedly began to feel unwell.”

“This was due to several factors, including anxiety, exhaustion, and, regrettably, the wine I had with dinner,” Comey’s statement reads. “In an abundance of caution, I did not drive home and remained in Hartford until the following morning.”

In her statement two years ago, Comey addressed her constituents in Branford.

“I will continue fighting for you with the same responsibility, respect, and commitment as always,” she said, noting she was, “grateful for your understanding and support.”

Then-Rep. Matt Ritter, now House Speaker, said at the time he wasn't going to “downplay” the incident.

A call to Ritter's Legislative Aide Alex Dahlem was not immediately returned Friday morning. But, Ritter put out a statement saying he's removed her from committee and leadership assignments.

"This was an extremely dangerous situation, and somebody could have been seriously injured, including Rep. Comey. I want to thank the Hartford police for the quick response. My immediate reaction is to think about Rep. Comey’s next steps. I hope she focuses on her health and well-being, and I know that her friends and colleagues will support her in any way we can. In light of the seriousness of the situation, I am immediately removing Rep. Comey from all committee and leadership assignments until further notice."

An initial call to Comey for comment was not immediately returned.