Extremely Intoxicated Woman Crashes into a Utility Truck

Around 12:03 AM on September 2, 2023, Officer Daniel Wynohradnyk with the Montvale Police Department responded to a call of a motor vehicle collision involving a 2013 Toyota Rav4 and 2014 Ford utility truck on Chestnut Ridge Road near the New York state line. As he arrived on scene, he made contact with the driver of the Toyota, who was later identified as 27-year-old Sage Petersen. Officer Wynohradnyk detected the odor of alcohol and noticed that her eyes were droopy, her speech was slurred, and she displayed a lack of balance. He also noticed that there was vomit on her pants.

He instructed Sage to exit the vehicle because there was smoke coming from the vehicle, and asked her if she had been drinking. Sage initially admitted to consuming 3 drinks, but she would later admit to consuming 5 or 6 drinks at the Pearl River Saloon across the state line in Pearl River, New York. Around this time, Officer Robert Klecha and Sergeant Jeffrey Hanna also arrived on scene to assist. Officer Klecha asked Officer Wynohradnyk if he wanted this DWI case for himself, and he was willing to take it.

Officer Klecha attempted to administer standardized field sobriety exercises to determine whether Sage was impaired. He started with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test, and asked Sage to follow the tip of his pen. Sage was unable to understand his instructions, and Officer Klecha ultimately made the determination that they would not proceed with field sobriety exercises and that she would be taken to the hospital instead.

First responders with the Tri-Boro Volunteer Ambulance Corps (TBVAC) arrived on scene to evaluate Sage, and she was placed on a stretcher. Officers decided to take her to Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey for further evaluation. Officer Klecha rode with Sage in the ambulance rig, and she vomited multiple times during the ambulance ride.

Once they arrived at Valley Hospital, his body worn camera was deactivated. At the hospital, Officer Klecha contacted Sergeant Eric Robalino, who subsequently contacted Judge Brady to request a warrant authorizing a blood draw. Judge Brady ultimately approved the warrant, and her blood was drawn and placed in a sealed container. Officer Wynohradnyk arrived later at Valley, and both the officers transported the blood samples to the Montvale Police Department. At the station, the blood samples were entered into evidence in the Beast system and placed in a temporary refrigerator for storage.

As of September 16, 2023, we are still waiting for the results of the blood draw, but they will be updated after the lab reports are finalized. Officer Klecha issued her the following summonses along with a court date to appear in the Pascack Joint Municipal Court: Operating under the influence, reckless driving, careless driving, open container of alcohol, traffic on marked lanes, and delaying traffic

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