As her DUI case continued Wednesday, Kerry Kennedy took the stand and claimed taking the sleeping medication before driving was completely unintentional, USA TODAY reported.
"Mrs. Kennedy, let's get right to the heart of the issue," her lawyer said. "Did you intentionally or knowingly take zolpidem?"
"No, I did not," Kennedy responded.
Kennedy, 54, is on trial for one count of driving under the influence following a car accident almost two years ago.
In July 2012, she had a cappuccino, carrots, and a 10-milligram pill of zolpidem -- a generic version of Ambien -- before driving her Lexus SUV, which she crashed into a tractor-trailer.
No one was injured in the accident.
Kennedy, daughter of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, was arrested following the crash. If convicted, she could face up to one year in prison.
A panel of six jurors -- four men and two women -- will determine if she is guilty or not guilty. Last week, Kennedy -- who is president of the RFK Center for Justice & Human Rights -- missed jury selection due to a human rights trip to West Sahara.
Lawyers for Kennedy claimed she meant to take her daily thyroid medication, arguing it was an honest mistake. However, prosecutors say if that were true, she would have realized at one point that she was not fit to drive and should have pulled over.
