Woman enters plea in case that left pedestrian seriously injured in Urbana Pike crash

April 19--A woman who prosecutors say drove drunk and seriously injured a pedestrian crossing Urbana Pike will be sentenced within the next month.

Terrye Ann Rodgers, 59, of Rockville, entered an Alford plea on Tuesday in Frederick County Circuit Court to driving while impaired.

In an Alford plea, the defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges that prosecutors have enough evidence to win a conviction. Other charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

Rodgers, driving a 2014 Toyota Corolla, crossed the southbound lanes of Urbana Pike/Md. 355 from Shields Drive and into opposing traffic around 6 p.m. on July 6, 2015, officials said.

She made a sharp right to avoid striking a northbound vehicle, and then hit Peggy Stanley, who was taken to Meritus Medical Center with serious injuries.

Stanley is out of the hospital but still undergoing rehabilitation, according to Assistant State's Attorney Michael Moore.

Police investigating the strike found a plastic cup and liquid near Rodgers' car, prosecutors said. They smelled alcohol on her and she appeared to have difficulty keeping her balance while on the phone with her insurance company.

Rodgers said that she didn't see the pedestrian and that the woman must have wanted to kill herself running out into the road.

Rodgers refused a sobriety test at first, but was ultimately taken to a hospital, where she tested with a blood alcohol content of .18 -- more than twice the legal limit for driving in Maryland.

The maximum penalty for a first DWI offense is two months in jail and a fine of $500. That increases to a year in jail and a $500 fine for a second offense, according to the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration.

-- Kelsi Loos

Follow Kelsi Loos on Twitter: @KelsiLoos.

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