Dozens of arrests for drunken driving are performed by New Jersey law enforcement personnel every week in the Garden State. As New Jersey drunk driving defense lawyers, I and my colleagues have seen just about every kind of DWI and drug DUI case, yet nothing surprises us much these days. On any given shift, state police, county sheriff and local municipal police officers pull over and otherwise stop and charge motorists with driving under the influence of alcohol.
From the initial traffic stop to the actual arrest and then performance of a blood-alcohol content (BAC) breath or blood test (to determine if a driver is legally intoxicated), the process of being charged and possibly convicted of drunk driving can be a scary prospect for many people. Beyond simple monetary penalties, a DWI or drug DUI conviction can result in loss of employment and can potentially ruin personal and business relationships. The following accounts of North Arlington drunk driving arrests are typical of those encountered around the state.
Drinking and Parking
Police were summoned in the late afternoon of June 20 to the parking lot of a CVS drug store following the report of a drunken driver. The caller to 911 reported that a car, which had been traveling on Schuyler Avenue and that swerved across a double yellow line, had subsequently pulled into the CVS parking lot. Officers arriving on the scene approached the suspect vehicle and soon detected the smell of alcohol on the operator’s breath. The driver was identified as a 53-year-old Bloomfield, NJ, resident. The man was asked to perform several field sobriety test, which he reportedly failed. He was arrested for driving while intoxicated and issued a DWI summons.
Tailgating Under the Influence
Less than 24 hours later, in the early morning of June 21, a police traffic police patrol on the Bellville Turnpike spotted a vehicle driving erratically, swerving along the road and tailgating the vehicle ahead of it. According to police reports, the officers pulled the vehicle over and conducted a routine traffic stop. During the stop patrolmen noticed the scent of alcohol on the driver’s breath. The 32-year-old woman driver from Sayreville failed a field sobriety test and was then arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. Officer took the man to police headquarters where he apparently refused a breath test. He was issued summonses for drunk driving, tailgating another vehicle, failure to keep right, careless driving and breath test refusal.
Sleeping Off an Apparent DWI Accident
The next day another driver was arrested for drunken driving after police arrived at the scene of a motor vehicle accident on Garden Terrace just off Ridge Road. Officers found the vehicle smashed up against another parked car. The 30-year-old Lyndhurst woman was still in the vehicle, reportedly slumped over in the driver’s seat. Police observed that she was very lethargic and nearly unconscious. Officers sent the woman to Clara Maass Medical Center for medical attention. She was later arrested and charged with DWI and careless driving.