MYSTIC — A Groton police officer was injured Tuesday night when a suspected drunk driver crashed into the officer’s cruiser in the Mystic section of Groton.
At around 7:50 p.m. on Dec. 31, the officer, who had just completed a traffic stop, was heading north on School Street.
After pausing at a stop sign at the intersection with Noank Road, the cruiser was hit by a vehicle driven by Kara Porter, 25, of Waterford, Connecticut.
Porter, who was traveling the wrong way on Noank Road, was allegedly using her cellphone at the time of the incident.
Her vehicle, a 2016 Jeep Compass, struck the front passenger side of the police cruiser while it was stopped at the intersection.
The officer sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to Lawrence and Memorial Hospital for treatment.
Porter was not injured in the crash.
Following the collision, both vehicles were towed from the scene.
Porter was arrested after failing to complete standardized field sobriety tests to standard.
She provided breath samples yielding a blood alcohol content of over .20, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08 BAC.
Porter is facing charges including Operating Under the Influence, Failing to Maintain Lane, Operating a Motor Vehicle while using a Cellphone, Operating a MV on a Sidewalk, and Reckless Driving.
She is currently being held on a cash/surety bond.
The Mystic Fire Department and Mystic River Ambulance personnel also responded to the incident.
The Groton Police Department is conducting an ongoing investigation into the crash and urges anyone with information to contact them at (860) 441-6712.
