An alleged underage drinker drove the wrong way for about 10 miles on Route 283, narrowly avoiding head-on collisions before crashing in Mount Joy Township.

Jenilee Kathryn Alleman, 20, of Elizabethtown, allegedly drove west through three townships on the eastbound lanes of the highway early Sunday morning, according to police.

A Northwest Regional police officer caught up with the driver after she crashed into a van near Risser Mill Road. Several motorists had called 911 reporting the wrong-way driver and multiple near-collisions, officials said.

Police charged Alleman with driving under the influence, underage drinking and other traffic violations. She was released to a friend after being interviewed and processed at the police station.

Investigators believe she was at a party before driving.

"She was drunk and refused to take a Breathalyzer (test)," Northwest Regional police Chief Sam Gatchell said Monday. "She had significant difficulty even walking."

Alleman crashed her Subaru Legacy into a Honda Pilot just after 2 a.m., according to police. She sustained minor injuries from an air bag deploying. The occupants of the Honda were not hurt.

Alleman made a wrong turn onto Route 283 at State Road, near East Petersburg, and drove until crashing just north of Mount Joy Borough, police reported.

Route 283 is a divided four-lane highway with a posted speed limit of 65 mph for the route Alleman was traveling.

Investigators said at least four motorists called 911 and reported almost being struck by the errant driver.

"That had to be an eye-opener — seeing the lights coming toward you," Gatchell said.

One caller told police, "I had to get off to the side of the road to avoid being hit."

Luckily, the highway wasn't packed with cars because of the early-morning hour.

"It could have been a lot worse," Gatchell said.

When police got to the scene of the crash, Alleman refused a test of her blood-alcohol level. Her speech was slurred and officers noticed a strong odor of alcohol, Gatchell said.

The driver had trouble keeping her balance, he said.

"An EMT had to carry her because she kept falling down," the chief said.

When police asked Alleman who they could call to pick her up, she gave a phone number for the party location, investigators said.

Alleman was taken back to the Northwest Regional police station and questioned before a friend finally came for her.

Alleman never admitted to drinking and, police said, she didn't realize she was going the wrong way.

"I imagine she did" think she was going the right direction, Gatchell said. "She told us she remembered turning at Kellogg's."

E-mail: bhambright@lnpnews.com