A Carpinteria couple were arrested late Tuesday after driving the wrong way in the northbound lanes of Highway 101 near Bath Street.

About 10:10 p.m., California Highway Patrol dispatch received reports of a blue Ford Expedition with tan trim traveling the wrong way after entering the highway from the northbound Bath Street offramp.

Six CHP officers responded using emergency lights and sirens, and within minutes pulled over the Ford just off the freeway at the intersection of Milpas at Ortega streets.

The driver of the vehicle told officers she was lost and was driving the wrong way on the freeway. She said she had been partying in the downtown area and was heading home to Carpinteria.

The officer detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from the vehicle. After a series of field sobriety tests, the officer determined that the driver, Laurie Michelle Andrews, was under the influence of alcohol and unable to safely operate a motor vehicle.

The passenger and driver’s husband, Michael Andrews, was arrested for disorderly conduct and being intoxicated to the point he was unable to care for himself or others.

The most recent crash statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate that wrong-way drivers are involved in 1.5 percent of all fatal crashes, according to the CHP.

— Noozhawk managing editor Michelle Nelson can be reached at mnelson@noozhawk.com.