New Jersey DWI Lawyer Blog
All across the Garden State in counties such as Passaic, Bergen, Ocean and Union, numerous individuals are pulled over for traffic infractions while traveling on highways and surface streets. Many of these drivers are subsequently arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, and sometimes prescription meds or even illicit drugs (drug DUI).
Whatever the circumstances, it’s a fair bet that many of these people never imagined that they would be arrested or even charged with a DWI or DUI prior to being pulled over by the police. As New Jersey drunken driving defense lawyers, I and my colleagues can say with relative certainty that a percentage of motorists accused of DWI did not deserve to be arrested or served with a summons. Because of this, anyone who is charged with driving while intoxicated or otherwise impaired due to prescribed drugs or other substances, such as cocaine or marijuana, should consult with a qualified DWI attorney.
The following news items, pulled from the local Middletown, NJ, police blotter, represent the typical kinds of DWI and drug DUI arrests that occur every week in New Jersey. Although the location and specifics of each police arrest may change, the resulting fees, fines and penalties following a drunk driving conviction can be rather harsh, as can the reaction of one’s friends, relatives and business associates; all the more reason to fight a DWI charge whenever possible.
Early on a Sunday morning, a Middleton police officer patrolling a stretch of Thompson Ave. apparently observed a car repeatedly swerving across the centerline and into the opposing lane. The vehicle, which was reportedly being driven by a 33-year-old man from Keansburg, was pulled over by the patrolman and questioned the driver at the roadside. Allegedly smelling the odor of alcohol emanating from suspect’s car, the officer carried out a further investigation. The driver was subsequently arrested for DWI and taken to police headquarter for processing. He was later released pending a mandatory court appearance.
On that same morning, another vehicle was observed being operated in what police reports say was a reckless manner. The officer in charge stopped the 46-year-old driver in the vicinity of Leonardville Rd, where the patrolman conducted an interview. During his investigation of the suspect, a resident of Barnegat, the officer again detected the odor of a so-called alcoholic beverage coming within the vehicle. The driver was detained and charged with driving while intoxicated.
On the previous Saturday morning, just after midnight, during a police-operated roadside drunken driving roadblock near the crossroads of Highway 35 and Navesink River Rd., a 35-year-old Highlands, NJ, driver was interviewed by officers who reportedly smelled the strong odor of alcoholic apparently wafting out from within the vehicle. beverage coming from inside the car. The woman, who police suspected of being impaired due to alcohol consumption, was arrested for DWI as well as reckless driving. She was taken to police headquarters and charged with drunken driving, with a court date pending.
On a Thursday evening in early October, police responded to reports of a single-vehicle accident in the vicinity of Navesink Ave. Officers observed the crash scene where a vehicle had reportedly hit a utility pole and then driven away. Based on news reports, witnesses told police that the car had fled the scene driving off in the direction of Clay Ct. Locating the suspect’s vehicle, patrolmen determined that the 44-year-old male driver was apparently intoxicated. The resident of Rumson was taken into custody and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving, breath test refusal, and leaving the scene of an accident, among others. He was processed and subsequently released pending a court appearance at a later date.
Middletown Police Report, AHHerald.com, October 12, 2011