A US college student has crashed into a police car while taking a topless selfie behind the wheel, say officials.

Miranda Rader, 19, rear-ended the patrol vehicle while sending nude photos to her boyfriend through the social media app Snapchat, police say.

The accident on Wednesday in Bryan, about 100 miles (160km) north of Houston, caused the airbag to deploy.

The Texas A&M University student also had an open bottle of wine in a cup holder by her, according to police.

No one was injured in the incident.

The officer whose car had been hit approached Ms Rader to find she had an "unclasped brassiere" and was trying to put on her blouse, police said.

The freshman told the officer that she had been driving back to her residence on campus.

The arresting officer wrote in an affidavit: "I asked her why she was not dressed while driving and she stated she was taking a Snapchat photo to send to her boyfriend while she was at a red light."

She was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and released from jail on Thursday morning on a $2,000 bail bond, police said.