Police Car Hit By Drunk Driver: Cops

GUILFORD, CT — A Branford woman driving on Route 1 westbound struck one of two stopped police cars, on the road to help a helping a motorist whose car had broken down. The police cars had flashing emergency lights on.

Wednesday night at around 6:3o p.m. on Route 1 just west of Long Hill Road, two Guilford Police vehicles were stopped with offciers nto inside the cars along the right shoulder with their emergency lights flashing. As they were helping the disabled motorist, a Toyota RAV4, traveling driven by Mary Kwasniewski, 37, of Pine Orchard Road, "failed to move over and struck the rear of one of the police vehicles." Police said the impact forced this police vehicle into the rear of the second police vehicle. No police officers were injured. Kwasniewski was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital for evaluation.

One police vehicle and the Toyota were towed from the scene. Police said that their investigation found Kwasniewski was intoxicated. She was charged with driving under the influence, and failure to move over when approaching an emergency vehicle.

She was released on a $500 non-surety bond with a court date of Jan. 27 at New Haven Superior Court.

Police said they're "thankful that no one was seriously injured in this accident and would like to take this opportunity to remind all drivers to the dangers of driving while intoxicated and to slow down and move over when approaching a police, fire or other emergency vehicle stopped on the roadway."