OCEAN CITY — A Delaware woman faces drunk driving and multiple traffic violations after a two-car collision on Saturday on Coastal Highway.
Around 10:30 p.m. last Saturday, Ocean City Police responded to a reported motor vehicle accident on Coastal Highway near the Roland E. Powell Convention Center. The accident occurred shortly after The Texas Tenors concert at the new Performing Arts Center ended, causing significant traffic in the area near the facility.
The investigation revealed one vehicle was heading east from Convention Center Drive to turn north onto Coastal Highway when it was struck by a GMC pick-up truck heading north on the highway. The pick-up truck failed to stop at a solid red traffic signal and struck the turning vehicle.
During the collision, the victim’s vehicle was rotated 180 degrees, while the pick-up truck, driven by Debra M. Ryan, 33, of Felton, Del., came to a final rest on its roof in the southbound lanes of Coastal Highway. OCPD officers spoke with Ryan and observed her to have glassy, bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from her breath and person.
Ryan agreed to take a battery of field sobriety tests, which she did not complete to the officer’s satisfaction. At that point, Ryan was placed under arrest for suspicion of driving while impaired. At the Public Safety Building, Ryan consented to a breath-alcohol test, the results of which were .12. Ryan was charged with driving under the influence and driving while impaired, reckless driving, negligent driving, failure to stop at a red circular signal, driving in excess of a reasonable and prudent speed and failure to control speed to avoid a collision.