A Sidney woman was arrested Wednesday, accused of being intoxicated when the vehicle she was driving struck and injured a Sidney teenager.
According to a media release from the village of Sidney Police Department, officers were called at 2:48 p.m. to investigate a report of a female lying in the middle of Sunset Avenue, appearing to have passed out. While enroute, officers were advised by 911 dispatchers that the victim had possibly been struck by a vehicle.
When police arrived, the release said, they found a 14-year-old girl unconscious in the roadway on Sharon Street, which intersects with Sunset Avenue. The victim appeared to have serious physical injuries. Sidney Emergency Medical Services treated the victim and transported her to UHS Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City. She was later transferred to SUNY Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, where she remained in critical condition at the time of the release.
Police said their investigation revealed the victim was struck by a vehicle as she was walking home from school. The vehicle and its driver then left the scene, but returned a short time later. Subsequent investigation determined the driver, Courtni N. Baker, 31, Sidney, was impaired by alcohol, the release said. She was taken into custody and transported to the station for processing.
While officers processed Baker at their station she attempted to escape the facility but was quickly detained, the release said.
Baker was charged with one count of vehicular assault in the first degree, a class D felony; aggravated driving while intoxicated — .18 or more blood alcohol content, a class A misdemeanor; one count of driving while intoxicated, an unclassified misdemeanor; one count of leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, a class A misdemeanor, one count of reckless driving, an unclassified misdemeanor and one count of third-degree escape, a class A misdemeanor. She was also issued several traffic tickets.
Police said Baker was arraigned in the town of Delhi court and remanded to the Delaware County Jail with no bail. They said their investigation is ongoing and could result in more charges being filed.