Alcohol is suspected to be a contributing factor in Thursday's accident on the Bypass which involved at least five vehicles. The driver of the white Buick who struck the other four vehicles, Jerolene Carter, 75, of Andalusia, was taken to the hospital after being extracted from her car in a ditch in front of Ace Hardware.

"We suspect that alcohol was at play and she has

been charged with DUI," said Andalusia Police Chief Wilbur Williams.

The path of destruction taken by Carter included both lanes of traffic, private drives and a parking lot, Williams said.

"She had traveled some distance on the wrong side of the road, barely missing a number of other vehicles other than the ones that she struck," he said. " She left her lane, crossed over into the path of oncoming traffic and struck into unit 2."

After that according tot he police report, Carter drove into the ditch at Breedloves, then into a parking lot where her car struck a parked vehicle, into the ditch again, and jumped curbs through two private drives. She ended up in the culvert by Ace, approximately 100 yards from where the first vehicle was struck, Williams said.

"It is an absolute miracle that she didn't kill herself or a whole bunch of other folks," said Williams. "This is a very, very serious situation that were dealing with and we're trying to see that this particular situation with this person does not occur again."

Williams said that he believed the woman had numerous prior convictions for driving under the influence. He also said that hers were the only injuries he was aware of.