Woman Arrested for DWI after Causing Car Wreck near Airport

On the evening of January 28, 2023, Fairfield Police were called to the site of a motor vehicle accident near the Essex County Airport in Fairfield, New Jersey. A white 2014 Nissan SUV had crashed into the fence surrounding the airport perimeter. As officers were responding, the caller reported that the driver made a U-turn and was heading north on Passaic Avenue.

The caller remained behind the white Nissan until the Police arrived. The vehicle eventually became disabled at 350 Passaic Avenue, and Fairfield Police arrived shortly afterwards. The Police observed the lone occupant of the vehicle exiting, and she was later identified as 29-year-old Laura Godlesky. Officer Sickles suspected that Godlesky was intoxicated, but she initially denied consuming any alcohol prior to the crash.

Based on their suspicion of intoxication, Officer Sickles afforded Godlesky an opportunity to perform standardized field sobriety tests. During the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test, he observed the lack of smooth pursuit and nystagmus at maximum deviation in both her left and right eye. He also positively noted nystagmus prior to forty-five degree onset in her left and right eyes, along with six out of six clues of intoxication. Godlesky was unable to walk heel-to-toe on multiple steps during the Walk and Turn test, and she was subsequently unable to maintain a steady balance during the One Leg Stand Test.

After failing to adequately perform the field sobriety tests, Godlesky was placed under arrest. Once she was transported to Fairfield Police HQ, she agreed to provide samples of her breath, which indicated she was over double the legal limit at 0.20% BAC. Based on the results of her breathalyzer test, Godlesky was issued court summonses for driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage, failure to report an accident, tire equipment, maintenance of lamps, failure to possess driver insurance card, reckless driving, careless driving, delaying traffic, obstruction of windshield, vehicle in unsafe condition, traffic on marked lanes, and illegal U-turn.

When she called her boyfriend's mother to come and pick her up, she refused to sign the Potential Liability Warning forms to assume responsibility for Godlesky. Afterwards, Godlesky was able to get in touch with her mother, and she was eventually released to her mother after she signed the Potential Liability Warning forms on her behalf.

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