A woman accused of driving drunk and hitting another vehicle on Douglas Highway earlier this month is being charged with felony assault.
A Juneau grand jury on Friday returned with an indictment against 30-year old Mellissa A. Derr.
Police have also charged Derr with misdemeanor driving while intoxicated in connection with the February 11th incident. Officers believe that Derr was heading inbound, driving a truck, when she crossed the centerline and collided with another vehicle at about the 3200 block.
Police say the accident closed a lane of Douglas Highway for about an hour. The driver of the other vehicle, a 65-year old woman, was treated for her injuries at the hospital and later released.
Derr appeared to be upset and clutching a tissue when she appeared in Juneau Superior Court during an arraignment hearing on Wednesday afternoon. Public defender Grace Lee entered a ‘not guilty’ plea on her behalf.
A jury trial is tentatively scheduled to last three days starting on May 7th.
