NORWICH - A state trooper accused of a hit-and-run crash while driving drunk has been admitted into a court program that will result in the charges being dropped if completed successfully.

Sarah Starkey, 34, of 310 Boston Post Road, Waterford, a trooper with Troop E Barracks in Montville, appeared on Thursday in Norwich Superior Court.

Judge Nuala Droney granted Starkey's admission into the Pretrial Alcohol Education program. As a result, the charges she faces - drunken driving, evading responsibility in an accident, failure to drive upon the right and unsafe movement of a stopped, standing or parked vehicle - will be dismissed in one year on Dec. 20, 2019.

Starkey's attorney, Rob Britt, told Droney that rather than taking part in a state-sponsored program, Starkey will complete private treatment she is already receiving.

In addition, Britt said, Starkey has paid restitution for the damage to the vehicle she hit.

Assistant State's Attorney Thomas Griffin confirmed that and told the judge that the owner of the vehicle doesn't object to Starkey entering the program.

According to Norwich police, Starkey’s personal vehicle was parallel parked on Main Street near the Harp & Dragon Pub. While backing out of the parking space, she hit a parked vehicle across the street, police said, then drove away. After getting a call about an erratic driver on West Main Street at 5:20 p.m., police said, officers stopped her vehicle on Salem Turnpike and arrested her.

Griffin said in court that Starkey's blood-alcohol level was measured at 0.228 and 0.205, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08.

Droney noted that she has met Starkey twice while the trooper was delivering warrants to her as part of their jobs, but the prosecution did not object to the potential conflict of interest.

"Sarah's happy this was taken care of," Britt said outside court.

A state police spokesman said that Starkey remains on administrative suspension.