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A 26-year-old Saudi woman was arrested on Sunday after striking a police officer with her vehicle and fleeing a traffic checkpoint in the southern Turkish province of Adana while under the influence of alcohol.
The incident occurred during a traffic enforcement operation in the central Seyhan district late Saturday. Police officers stopped a vehicle bearing the license plate 31 HP 802 for a routine inspection and an alcohol test.
Officers asked the driver, identified as C.H., a Saudi national, to exit the vehicle. According to authorities, she refused to leave the car or take a breathalyzer test, saying, “My anxiety kicked in,” before driving toward a police officer and fleeing the checkpoint.
Police attempted to stop the vehicle using pepper spray but were unsuccessful.
Police launched a controlled pursuit, and the suspect was eventually stopped after crashing into a utility pole.
Tests conducted after the crash found that she had a blood alcohol level of 1.04 promille. Authorities also determined that her driver’s license had previously been permanently revoked for drunk driving.
Police said the officer targeted by the vehicle avoided serious injury by jumping out of the way.
Authorities imposed administrative fines totaling 557,719 Turkish liras (about $12,000) for multiple violations, including driving under the influence, driving despite a revoked license, failing to comply with a police order to stop, dangerous lane changes and operating an uninspected vehicle.
The vehicle was impounded and banned from traffic for 120 days.
The suspect was taken into custody and charged with endangering traffic safety and related offenses.
After procedures at the police station, she was referred to court and subsequently arrested by the duty judge.
Authorities also noted that the woman kept her dog with her throughout the detention process.
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