Woman Arrested for THIRD DWI after Driving while Suspended

Her SECOND DWI Arrest

Driving with a suspended license

Driving with a suspended license AGAIN

Around 10:05 PM on July 26, 2023, Sergeant Frank Mazza with the Middletown Township Police Department observed a 2014 Honda speeding 65 MPH in a 50 MPH zone on SR 36 southbound. A check of the vehicle’s registration indicated a suspended license along with an outstanding ATS warrant from South Amboy. He initiated a traffic stop and the vehicle pulled over on Avenue C. Sergeant Mazza proceeded to make contact with the woman sitting in the driver’s seat, who was identified as 41-year-old Joelle Casale. After checking her driver’s license, he noticed that an ignition interlock device had not been installed in the vehicle. This was in violation of a court mandate to do so resulting from a prior DWI arrest.

Sergeant Mazza informed Joelle why she was being stopped, and as he began to interact with her, he detected the odor of alcohol emanating from the vehicle. Joelle was asked where she was coming from, and she told him that she had been at South Stevens Pub in South Amboy, New Jersey. Sergeant Mazza returned to his patrol car with her documents and radioed for another police car to respond to the scene. Officer John Mania responded shortly afterwards.

Since Joelle admitted she had been at a bar and she was displaying signs of impairment, Sergeant Mazza offered Joelle an opportunity to participate in field sobriety exercises. He started with the recitation of the alphabet, which Joelle completed successfully. The second exercise Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. During the HGN test, Sergeant Mazza observed 6 out of 6 indicators of impairment. The third exercise was the One Leg Stand test, and Joelle put her foot down multiple times and displayed a lack of balance. The final exercise was the Walk and Turn test, and Joelle failed to walk heel-to-toe and turned improperly.

Based on her slurred speech, the odor of alcohol on her person, her admission to consuming alcohol, and her inability to adequately complete the field sobriety exercises, Sergeant Mazza placed Joelle under arrest for driving under the influence. A search of her vehicle revealed an open container of Steel Reserve beer. The vehicle was impounded for a mandatory 12-hour hold under John’s Law, and Officer Mania remained at the scene waiting for the tow truck. Sergeant Mazza subsequently transported Joelle to the Middletown Township Police Department for processing.

At police headquarters, Joelle was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators and agreed to submit breath samples. After the 20-minute observation period, the breathalyzer was administered. Her Alcotest results indicated a BAC of 0.099%, which was over the legal limit of 0.08%. After they were finished processing Joelle at police headquarters, she was placed in a jail cell to be held until she was sober because she was unable to find anyone to sign the Potential Liability Warning form on her behalf. Sergeant Mazza issued Joelle the following summonses: Operating under the influence, refusal to submit to chemical test, reckless driving, failure to install ignition interlock device, open container of alcohol, and driving with a suspended license

Public records indicate that Joelle has previously been arrested for her first DWI in Old Bridge on August 3, 2022, her second DWI in Hazlet on October 26, 2022, and also been stopped multiple times in Highlands, Aberdeen, and South Amboy for driving with a suspended license.

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