Columbia woman charged with driving drunk when she hit police cruiser

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Prosecutors charged a Columbia woman Thursday on allegations that she was drunk when she crashed into a police cruiser in February.

Kylie R. Shepherd, 25, was charged with driving while intoxicated and causing serious physical injury to a law enforcement officer. The charge is a Class C felony.

Shepherd is accused of driving her Pontiac Vibe into a Columbia Police Department patrol vehicle on Highway 63 near the Broadway exit early Feb. 24. One officer inside the vehicle was injured but another officer was outside the vehicle.

The cruiser was stopped in the passing lane after a report of a tire in the road. Police said the cruiser's emergency lights were on.

Police said after the crash that Shepherd's vehicle caught fire but the two officers pulled her out so she could be taken to a hospital.

Shepherd smelled of alcohol after the crash and admitted to drinking before she drove, according to a probable cause statement. Police took a blood sample to test for alcohol content but the result was not included in the statement.

Shepherd has not been arrested, according to online court records. However, her lawyer, Bogdan Susan, has made appearances on her behalf, including entering a not guilty plea Thursday.

Susan declined to comment on the case.