Olympic medal-winning police commander charged with drink driving

Australian Federal Police Commander Danielle Anne Woodward, 59, faced the ACT Magistrates Court earlier this week for driving with a prescribed concentration of alcohol in her blood or breath.

It is unconfirmed if she has entered a plea to the charge.

Police were called to the Barton site of a single-vehicle crash about 8pm on November 17 of last year.

Officers and members of the fire brigade would find an Mercedes-Benz AMG A45 "with extensive front-end damage" against a tree and Woodward, said to be the driver of the car.

The decorated cop returned a level three alcohol concentration reading after a breath analysis test.

She was stood down from duties shortly after the incident.

Woodward competed in three consecutive Summer Olympic Games from 1992 in Barcelona, where she won a silver medal in slalom canoeing.

She was awarded an Order of Australia in 2002 for her service to the sport, and an Australian Police Medal, awarded for distinguished service by a member of an Australian police force, in 2020.

Woodward's almost four-decade law enforcement career has involved major investigations into organised crime groups, complex fraud and human trafficking.

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She was deployed to the Netherlands as part of the response to the MH17 disaster.

At the site of the November car crash, police described the triple Olympian's face as "flushed with sleepy/watery eyes".

"The defendant's speech was slurred and she was unsteady as she walked," court documents state.

"Police could smell a strong odour of intoxicating liquor emanating from the defendant and formed the opinion that the defendant was well under the influence."

Woodward was reportedly polite and cooperative.

She was issued with a court attendance notice and her licence was immediately suspended for 90 days.

Woodward is set to face court again next month.