A WOMAN was allegedly almost seven times the legal blood alcohol limit when she crashed a car into a traffic light on a busy Hunter highway.
Police were called to the New England Highway at East Maitland at about 6pm on August 28 after reports a Mazda sedan had collided with a pole.
Highway patrol officers at the scene were told the 57-year-old woman behind the wheel was travelling eastbound when she entered the intersection with Mitchell Drive.
The woman allegedly crashed into the traffic light pole.
NSW Ambulance crews were called to the scene and paramedics treated the woman for minor injuries.
Highway patrol police tried to carry out a roadside breath test but allege the woman refused and their attempts were unsuccessful.
The 57-year-old woman was taken to Maitland Police Station and underwent a breath analysis, which allegedly returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.342.
The legal limit for a fully-licenced driver is 0.05, meaning the woman was almost seven times over.
She was charged with high-range drink driving, and refusing to submit to a breath test.
Police issued her a court attendance notice to front Maitland Local Court next month.
