NORTH HAVEN — A woman who authorities said was impaired stole and crashed a state Department of Transportation vehicle on Thursday night.

Connecticut State Police on Friday said troopers were sent to investigate a reported motor vehicle theft of a DOT truck on Route 40 East near Exit 1 around 10 p.m.

While troopers were en route, Troop I was notified that the stolen DOT truck crashed into another vehicle at the intersection of Bailey Road and Elm Street in North Haven.

Arriving units found the stolen vehicle, an orange GMC 3500HD, off the road with its front end against a tree, police said.

Police said they determined the driver, Dinah Nelson, was under the influence of a drug and/or alcohol. She was deemed unfit to drive a vehicle, police said.

A summary of the crash from state police indicated that a Wallingford woman was driving north on Elm Street near Bailey Road when Nelson ran a red light at the intersection and hit the other driver. The report said the Wallingford woman’s vehicle suffered disabling damage to the driver’s side door. The DOT vehicle Nelson allegedly stole had front bumper damage, police said.

The Wallingford woman had a suspected minor injury and was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital by medics. Nelson did not report any injuries.

Both vehicles were towed from the scene. Police said Nelson was found at fault for the collision.

Authorities did not say how Nelson got into the DOT truck undetected, or how she got onto the highway prior to taking it.

Nelson, 23, of Asylum Street in Hartford, was taken into custody and brought to Troop I to be processed. At the state police barracks, police said, Nelson “became combative” and hit a Seymour police officer in the face.

It was unclear why the Seymour officer was there, or if they were involved in the North Haven arrest.

Nelson was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, first-degree larceny of a motor vehicle, assault on a public safety officer, failure to obey traffic signals and negligent pedestrian. She was held on a $25,000 bond.

Source: https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/Police-Impaired-woman-stole-DOT-truck-crashed-16994226.php