A Columbia Falls woman has pleaded not guilty to felony drunk driving after allegedly crashing her vehicle earlier this year.

Mary Long, 56, entered her plea Thursday in Flathead District Court.

A court document states a Montana Highway Patrol trooper responded to the Aug. 5 crash on the North Fork Road.

He spoke to the Long after she was removed from the vehicle by rescue personnel, at which point he noticed the smell of alcohol on her breath.

Long allegedly told the trooper that she had bought two bottles of rum and drank the majority of one bottle prior to driving down the road. The trooper reported finding an empty bottle of rum at the scene.

Her prior convictions for drunk driving came in March 2002, October 2007, and August 2011, according to the court document.

A felony drunk driving conviction is punishable with 13 months in a residential alcohol treatment program run by the Montana Department of Corrections, a consecutive, suspended sentence of five years either to the corrections department or the Montana State Prison, or between 13 months and five years of incarceration with the Corrections Department if the defendant has already been placed in treatment due to a prior conviction.

It also carries a fine of between $1,000 and $10,000.

Long initially was incarcerated in the Flathead County Detention Center, where her bond was set at $25,000, but she was later released on her own recognizance. Her next hearing is set for Jan. 15, 2014.

Reporter Jesse Davis may be reached at 758-4441 or by email at jdavis@dailyinterlake.com.