Updated 7:40 p.m.
The mother of four children injured after her SUV collided with a garbage truck in Woodhaven early Thursday morning has been charged with drunk driving, according to police.
The NYPD said Rishma Sookdial, 36, of Brooklyn was booked after exhibiting signs of intoxication after the collision, which occurred at 12:30 a.m. at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and 76th Street.
Authorities said Sookdial was behind the wheel of a 2005 Honda Pilot with four children — ages 1 1/2, 5, 9 and 11— riding along when it rear-ended a garbage truck belonging to a private hauler.
Officers from the 102nd Precinct and EMS units responded to the scene. Firefighters worked for 10 minutes to free the child in the passenger seat, who was injured and trapped in the damaged vehicle.
Sookdial and her children were taken to Jamaica Hospital for treatment of injuries not considered life-threatening. Prosecutors said a Breathalyzer test later conducted on Sookdial revealed that she had a blood alcohol level of 0.253, well above the 0.08 legal limit.
Following questioning, police charged Sookdial with four counts of aggravated DWI and acting in a manner injurious to a child. She faces up to four years behind bars if convicted, according to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown.
“My office has zero tolerance when it comes to individuals who get behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol,” Brown said in a statement Thursday night. “In this case the defendant didn’t just risk her life while allegedly driving drunk, she also exposed her children to grave danger. Although her four youngsters were injured in the crash, it could have been much worse.”
