A woman struck a Minnesota State Patrol squad car along the side of a St. Paul highway Tuesday and fought with a trooper, according to the State Patrol.

The trooper sustained minor injuries and was taken to United Hospital for evaluation. The 47-year-old woman may have been under the influence of drugs and was also was transported to United, though she was uninjured, said Lt. Tiffani Nielson, State Patrol spokeswoman.

At about 3:35 p.m., a trooper was parked on the right shoulder of Interstate 35E north at Arlington Avenue. A Hyundai Sonata swerved from the traffic lane directly into the marked squad, Nielson said.

“She struck the back of the car at freeway speeds,” Nielson said. “A witness said she appeared to intentionally drive into the back of the car.”

The trooper went to check on the driver, who began fighting with him, Nielson said. A passerby stopped to assist and the woman was arrested.

West St. Paul firefighters encountered the same woman about a half hour earlier, said West St. Paul Police Lt. Brian Sturgeon.

Firefighters heading to a call noticed a white vehicle parked in the middle of a driveway shared by the fire and police departments, and it remained there when they returned, Sturgeon said. They tried talking to the driver, who was alone in the car.

“She stared straight ahead,” Sturgeon said. “Our understanding is that she did not acknowledge the firefighters and, after about 20 seconds, she fled out of the parking lot at a high rate of speed.”

Police checked the area, but didn’t find the driver.