Used Car Saleswoman Arrested for DWI after Car Crash

On the evening of November 23, 2022 around 10:00 PM, Bridgewater Police were called to the site of an auto accident involving two vehicles that were stopped in front of the Finderne Fire Department in Bridgewater, New Jersey. Officer Duffy made contact with the driver of a 2016 Honda, who was identified as 29-year-old Samantha Camacho. Upon making contact, he detected the odor of alcohol on her person. The driver of the other vehicle told the officer that his vehicle was struck by Camacho’s vehicle.

Samantha insisted that she was not impaired and that the open White Claw container in the did not belong to her. When the officer noticed the damages on the front of her car, Samatno told Officer Duffy that they were not related to the accident with another vehicle that had just occurred. Officer Duffy countered by telling her that he observed damages to the rear bumper of the other driver’s vehicle, which must have been caused by Samantha’s car striking his.

Based on his suspicion of impairment, Officer Duffy offered Samantha an opportunity to perform field sobriety exercises. His partner Officer Geisel initially performed the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test, and the results indicated potential impairment. Officer Duffy subsequently administered the Walk and Turn and One Leg Stand tests. Camacho failed to follow instructions or perform the field sobriety exercises adequately..

Based on the traffic accident, the open container of alcohol in her vehicle, along with her failure to adequately perform the field sobriety exercises, Officer Duffy placed Samantha under arrest for driving under the influence. When she was brought to the station, Samantha agreed to take a breathalyzer test. After she was processed, her mother came to the station to sign the Potential Liability Warning form on her behalf. However, Officer Duffy first had to transport Samantha for further evaluation at the hospital before she could be released. She was eventually released pending a court appearance with the following summonses: Operating under the influence, reckless driving, careless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, and failure to report an accident.

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