Waterford - A state trooper reporting for the midnight shift Friday tried to resuscitate a woman who he found trapped inside a Jeep Grand Cherokee when he came upon a two-car crash on Interstate 395.

New information about the deadly crash was released Monday when a Massachusetts woman appeared in New London Superior Court on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, illegal drug possession and driving without a license.

Dina Senibaldi, 26, of Everett, Mass. was driving behind the Jeep when her gray sedan struck it. The Jeep then crashed, according to state police.

Trooper Daniel L. Hoffner was driving north toward the Troop E barracks on Interstate 395 about 10:49 p.m. when he saw a cloud of dust and smoke on the southbound side of the highway about seven-tenths of a mile south of exit 77. He saw a gray sedan parked sideways in the right-hand travel lane. He left the highway and drove toward the crash scene, where he saw the Jeep that had flipped onto its passenger side and come to rest on a guardrail.

Inside, 45-year-old Lisa C. Delprete of North Haven was trapped in the passenger seat. Reaching through the broken passenger side window, Hoffner felt a weak pulse and attempted to keep her airway open.

The driver, 52-year-old Edmund Davis, was bleeding heavily from a long, deep head wound. He was able to give the trooper he and Delprete's names, but said he did not remember what had happened.

Delprete, a married mother of two who owned and managed a New Haven food company, had suffered a fatal head injury and was later pronounced dead at Lawrence & Memorial Hospital. Davis, who suffered head and chest injuries, was listed in fair condition Monday at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Senibaldi and a passenger, 25-year-old Marirose Lynch of Everett, Mass., were sitting on a curb, "hysterical" as rescue crews and more troopers arrived, according to the court documents. Senibaldi had bloodshot eyes and slurred speech. She complained that her head hurt but refused treatment. She failed a field sobriety test at the scene and later refused to submit to urine or blood tests. Police said they found plastic bags containing oxycodone pills and marijuana in her possession. Lynch was treated at Lawrence & Memorial for a cut to her forehead.

Senibaldi was arrested and held over the weekend in lieu of $100,000 bond. She was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, possession of marijuana, possession of narcotics, possession of narcotics not in the original container and driving without a license.

State police are continuing to investigate, and it is unclear whether additional charges will be lodged. At the arraignment, Judge Kevin P. McMahon set Senibald's bond at $75,000 and continued the case to April 14. After reading the police reports, the judge said they did not show "causation," or that Senibaldi was responsible for the crash.

"Right now, we have a very strong drunk-driving case with a defendant who was involved in a fatal accident," he said. "There was a death, and she was loaded."

Senibaldi has retained defense attorney Michael A. Blanchard, and her family members who were in court said they expected to post her bond Monday afternoon.

Senibaldi has pending court cases in Massachusetts for two counts of prostitution, two counts of providing a false name and a firearm identification violation. She also has a number of prostitution convictions in New Jersey, and Florida officials have an outstanding warrant for her arrest, according to bail commissioner Timothy Gilman. Her attorney said she has no felony convictions and that she was unaware of any pending cases.

k.florin@theday.com