Hartford Woman Drove Drunk The Wrong Way In Rocky Hill: Police

ROCKY HILL/HARTFORD, CT — A Hartford woman has been accused by state police of drunk driving and traveling the wrong way on Interstate 91 in Rocky Hill over the weekend.

According to state police, the incident happened at about 3:23 a.m. Saturday.

Police said Njinga Ward, 49, of Hartford was charged Saturday with reckless driving; illegal operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs/alcohol; failure to maintain proper lane on a limited-access highway; driving the wrong way on a divided highway; improper entry/exit of a limited-access highway; failure to comply with fingerprinting requirements; and first-degree reckless endangerment.

Ward was later released on a $20,000 bond and was scheduled to appear at New Britain Superior Court on May 5.

Police said, on Saturday, May 3, at approximately 3:23 a.m., state police at Troop H- Hartford began receiving 911 calls reporting a grey sedan traveling in the wrong direction, northbound in the southbound lanes of I-91 in Rocky Hill.

Shortly thereafter, responding troopers located the vehicle traveling between the right lane and right shoulder at a slow speed, facing in the correct direction, police said.

Troopers made contact with the operator, who was identified as Ward by her CT operator's license.

According to police, while speaking with Ward, troopers observed clear signs of impairment, including red, glossy eyes, slurred speech, and the distinct odor of alcohol.

"Based upon the circumstances, Ward was requested to submit to Standardized Field Sobriety Testing," wrote state police Monday in a release. "Ward agreed to submit to testing and subsequently failed."

As a result, Ward was taken into custody and charged by state police.

For more information on the case, click on this link.