New Jersey DWI Lawyer Blog
Arrests for driving while intoxicated can happen nearly any time and almost anywhere. As a New Jersey DWI attorney, I have represented numerous motorists accused of drunken driving where a seemingly simple fender-bender precipitated into a full-blown drunk driving arrest.
Lyndhurst, like that most other Garden State municipalities, sees its share DWI, drug DUI and breath-test refusal cases every month. Some of these cases arise out of normal traffic enforcement, while others are called in by citizens who believe they have observed drunken driving behavior. Not long ago, a Lodi, NJ, man was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol following an accident at a local Lyndhurst Wendy’s fast food restaurant.
According to news reports, Lyndhurst police officers responded to an early morning call from the manager of a Wendy’s on Ridge Road. The call, which came in just before 2am, alerted police to an incident at the restaurant where a light-colored vehicle apparently collided with the drive-through window before the driver, later identified as John Finn, fled the scene.
Police reports indicate that the driver and a 24-year-old passenger had pulled up to the restaurant window before realizing that the establishment was closed for the night. Realizing that the store was closed, Finn apparently attempted to exit, but instead crashed into the drive-through window, according to police.
After a search by the police, Finn and his vehicle were located several blocks north of the restaurant on Summit Avenue. The car, which police said had apparently been disabled due to front-end damage on the driver’s side, also had a broken windshield.
According to news reports, Finn was arrested at the scene and taken to the Lyndhurst Police Department where he was charged with DWI. He had sustained minor lacerations to his face and hand, both of which were treated at police headquarters. Finn also received a summons for leaving the scene of an accident, police said.
Finn’s vehicle was impounded and he was later released on his own recognizance. The passenger was not charged.
Police: Man drove through drive-thru window at Wendy’s, LeaderNewspapers.net, April 30, 2010