A woman was arrested in Baton Rouge following an accident that injured a state trooper, according to local news. A Louisiana State Patrol trooper apparently suffered moderate injuries in a crash involving a suspected drunk driver. The suspect has been taken into custody and is awaiting a trial date. There is no word as to whether she has retained criminal defense counsel or if a trial date has been set.
According to the release provided by state police, the trooper was stopped in a squad car with his emergency lights activated as he was overseeing a construction zone. The woman is believed to have avoided road blocks before striking the back of the trooper’s vehicle. It is not clear how fast she was traveling, but the trooper was injured in the crash.
The 31-year-old Baton Rouge resident driving the car was arrested and charged with careless operation, vehicular negligent injuring and DWI. She was taken to East Baton Rouge Prison where she remains in advance of her court date. State troopers are reminding motorists to exercise care around work zones, especially during the summer months and holiday peak times.
Louisiana authorities are subject to the burden of proof in these cases. They will need to provide evidence of the woman’s alleged intoxication at the time of the crash, possibly in the form of a breath or blood test. In the meantime, her criminal defense team will carefully review any evidence the prosecution offers for entry into the court to ensure its collection did not infringe upon the woman’s constitutional rights.