A 35-year-old woman driving on West Avenue at 6:20 p.m. on New Year’s Eve struck guardrail, then drove off, police said. Soon afterward, she was charged with driving while under the influence.
Darien police gave this account of what happened, including accusations not proven in court:
Police went to West Avenue near the two intersections of West and Holmes Avenues after witnesses called them to the scene. The police news release didn’t say how they contacted the driver, a resident of Glenbrook Road in Stamford.
While speaking with the woman, police smelled the odor of an alcoholic beverage. The woman could not perform field sobriety tests to standard.
She was arrested on charges of driving while under the influence, driving without a driver’s license and failure to drive in the proper lane.
At Darien Police Headquarters, a breath test determined her blood-alcohol content at 0.2047 at 7:23 p,m, and 0.1963 at 7:42 p,m. Both readings are more than double the legal maximum limit of 0.08 for an adult.
The police announcement did not describe any damage to her vehicle and did not say that she was hurt in any way by striking the guardrail.
The woman, who has since turned 36 years old, was released on a $50 bond and told to be in state Superior Court in Stamford on Jan. 14.