Suspected drunk driver strikes Plano officer’s vehicle

PLANO, TX – According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 40 percent of traffic-related deaths in the United States between Christmas Eve and New Years Day are carried out by drunk drivers.

Because holidays tend to be rifer with intoxicated motorists than normal occasions, Plano police officers have increased traffic enforcement in the interim and reportedly made 18 DUI/DWI arrests.

One of these arrests happened after a motorist allegedly collided with a moving police vehicle.

The incident reportedly happened on Dec. 24 at approximately 12:30 a.m. in the 2400 block of Central Expressway in Plano next to Exchange Drive. A representative with the Plano Police Department said the patrolling officer turned off the US 75 service road toward Exchange when he was struck behind by a drunk driver, whom authorities identified as 49-year-old Laura Michele Dalager of Carrollton.

Following the collision, Dalager was promptly arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. The officer was transported to a nearby hospital and treated for minor injuries including abrasions and was shortly released thereafter.

“Please, if you are going to make the decision to drink, be responsible and don’t drive,” the Plano Police Department said in a statement on Facebook concerning the incident. “There are too many options between getting a designated driver, ride-share, taxi, or even tow trucks to get you and your vehicle home safely. A first DWI can cost thousands of dollars, not to mention the potential for injury or death.”