Woman stole car, drove it under influence of drugs and was invloved in 3-car accident, police say

A town woman was arrested after allegedly stealing a car, driving it under the influence of drugs and becoming involved in a three-car crash, all within about one hour, the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.

Herma Allen, 53, of Rosendale, was arrested by Sheriff’s deputies on Tuesday and charged with one felony count of grand larceny, one misdemeanor count of driving while ability impaired by drugs and the traffic infractions of following too closely and refusing to submit to a breath screening test, according to a press release.

At about 3:10 p.m. Tuesday, Sheriff’s deputies, Rosendale police and state police responded to a 911 call reporting a vehicle had been stolen from Bridge Plaza on state Route 32 in Rosendale at about 3 p.m., according to Lt. Dirk Budd of the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office.

Budd said Allen drove her own vehicle to a liquor store in the Bridge Plaza and made a purchase, but left in someone else’s 2013 Jeep Cherokee, which had been left idling and was unoccupied in front of the plaza.

Budd said Allen drove the allegedly stolen vehicle for about 10 minutes before crashing into a 2017 Honda Accord at the intersection of Route 32 and Creek Locks Road in Rosendale. The force of the collision drove the Accord into a 2002 Toyota Tundra, Budd said.

When they arrived, deputies realized the stolen vehicle had been involved in the three-vehicle collision.

Allen, was arrested at the scene and was found to be driving the stolen vehicle while impaired by drugs.

The driver of the Honda Accord, who police did not identify, was taken by Mobile Life Support Services to HealthAlliance Hospital Broadway Campus for treatment of neck injuries.

Police did not identify the driver of the Toyota Tundra but Budd said the driver was not injured.

Allen was arraigned in Rosendale Town Court and sent to the Ulster County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail.

She was released from the jail about one hour after her arrival Tuesday, according to a jail officer who said she posted bail.