7/15/14 - A Howell woman is facing multiple charges after hitting a Hamburg Township Police patrol car while allegedly driving drunk on Friday night. The incident happened around 11:30pm when an officer was on an un-related traffic stop on M-36, just east of Giraud Drive. Hamburg Township Police Chief Rick Duffany tells WHMI the officer had already approached the first car he stopped and had returned to his vehicle to run checks on the plate and occupant when the crash happened. He says the 27-year-old Howell woman was traveling eastbound on M-36 when she sideswiped the patrol car, causing significant damage to the front end and proceeded to leave the scene. Duffany says the officerâs vehicle was still drivable and his lights were already activated from the initial stop so he activated his sirens and attempted to pull over the woman. He says the woman continued driving for about a quarter mile down M-36 and through the Chilson Commons shopping center before finally stopping near the Hamburg Coney Island. The Howell woman was lodged in the Livingston County Jail and charges of leaving the scene of an accident as well as fleeing and eluding a police officer have been authorized. The woman is also charged under Michiganâs super drunk law, meaning she had at least a .17% blood alcohol content. The officer involved was not injured and Duffany says heâs actually one of the departmentâs leading officers when it comes to drunk driving enforcement. Duffany says the officer has been recognized by Mothers Against Drunk Driving for the past two years and this incident is just another illustration of how dangerous drunk drivers can be. (JM)
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