Cop Hurt In Crash With Drunk Driving Suspect
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IRVING (CBSDFW.COM) - A police officer was injured early Friday in a car crash involving a suspected drunk driver. The incident happened at around 3:15 a.m. in the westbound lanes of Highway 114 near O'Connor Boulevard in Irving.
According to officials at the scene, the officer was blocking traffic at a construction zone, with his squad car's warning lights on and orange barrels alerting highway drivers to slow down. But that did not stop a woman in a silver car from ramming into the officer's vehicle.
The squad car was hit from behind and ran into a light pole. The officer inside was transported to Parkland Hospital in Dallas with broken ribs and a concussion. He has already been released and is expected to make a full recovery.
Meanwhile, the driver of the silver car was said to be intoxicated and placed under arrest, according to officials. She was later identified as 36-year-old Nicole Elaine Arreola of Grapevine. Police said that she first denied being behind the wheel, but then changed her story, and admitted to having five shots and a sip of beer before getting inside of the car.
Arreola now faces an intoxication assault charge. If convicted, she could face between two and 20 years in prison.
"Ironically, the headquarters for Mothers Against Drunk Driving is literally four blocks down the road," added Officer James McLellan with the Irving Police Department. "It's a huge warning, because if it can happen to a police officer, it certainly can happen to anyone else."
The crash closed the freeway for nearly six hours early Friday morning. Traffic was detoured off to O'Connor Boulevard. The highway has since been opened back up to regular traffic.
