Karen Huger has been charged with driving under the influence and hit with several other traffic violations in connection with her car crash this week ... TMZ has learned.

According to online court records, the 'Real Housewives of the Potomac' star is facing one count of DUI over Tuesday night's wreck -- which notes she has to make a mandatory court appearance to answer for it. She's facing an additional DWI charge as well here.

There are several other alleged infractions she's been dinged with too -- per the docket -- that touch on everything from negligent and reckless driving to driving way over the speed limit and driving with a suspended registration. The 6 traffic violations she was cited with don't require court appearances ... and have fines attached ranging from $50 to $510.

We broke the story ... Huger was driving her 2017 Maserati late Tuesday night in Potomac, Maryland in what police described as an aggressive manner.

Cops told us Karen struck a median and crosswalk sign at an intersection before continuing on and colliding with a parking sign off the roadway. The car itself was badly damaged, but Karen told us she was doing fine after the accident ... which she chalked up to driving while in a super emotional state.

Huger said she went to dinner with a friend where she said the two talked about some pretty emotional topics -- including KH's deceased mother -- saying it left her bawling while trying to drive home and she says she swerved to avoid a car coming directly at her.

Huger did note she received citations, one of which she says was not related to the incident ... but, made no mention of being intoxicated or arrested in her statement to us. Cops didn't tell us she'd been arrested either ... and there's no record of her having been booked in their jail.

Montgomery County PD says the reason charges weren't mentioned earlier Wednesday is because all that was available at the time was a preliminary collision report -- and that a police report would have further info. We haven't obtained that police report just yet ... but clearly, cops felt something criminal had happened here -- evidenced in the court update.

We've reached out to Huger for further comment ... so far, no word back.