By Jim Clark

Police officers were dispatched to a Packard Ave. location last week on reports of a motor vehicle accident.

Upon arrival, the officers were informed by Tufts police that they had detained the driver of the vehicle involved in the crash, Ali Penniman, of Lexington.

Penniman reportedly had crashed her vehicle, and then moved it approximately 25 feet away from the crash location and left it parked in the middle of the street, occupied by three passengers.

Police questioned two passengers about what had happened. They reportedly told police that they were not previously acquainted with Penniman or her companion. They reportedly said that they were standing at the corner of Packard and Professors Row when they observed Penniman driving toward them, and they spoke to her as she pulled alongside of them.

They said that they asked Penniman to drive them to Taco Bell and she reportedly agreed to do so. The two men got  got into the back seat of the vehicle, whereupon Penniman turned onto Packard Ave. heading toward Powderhouse Blvd, accelerating at a high rate of speed. Penniman then attempted to turn left onto Talbot Ave., but lost control and proceeded onto the sidewalk crashing into a street sign, knocking it out of the sidewalk. The car then crashed into a black steel railing, and into several bushes where it finally came to rest.

After failing a number of field sobriety tests, Penniman was placed under arrest and charged with operation of a motor vehicle with a suspended license, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor second offense.