Woman Blows Over 3 TIMES LEGAL LIMIT (0.25% BAC) after Fleeing Accident Scene

Around 11:23 PM on March 23, 2022, Sergeant Steven D’Ambola with the Cranford Police Department responded to a report of a vehicle leaving the scene of an accident in the vicinity of Forest Avenue and Hamilton Avenue. He noticed that there was debris at the intersection of N Union Avenue and Forest Avenue. Patrolman Cook found a hubcap from a black Nissan SUV at the scene. Around 11:56 PM, Sergeant D’Ambola located a black Nissan Rogue parked next to a stop sign near the intersection of Casino Avenue and Riverside Drive. He exited his patrol car to investigate and observed heavy front-end damage on the passenger side.

As he was waiting for a tow truck to arrive, he observed a 33-year-old female, later identified as Colleen, walking north on Riverside Drive towards the vehicle. Colleen appeared unbalanced and he detected the odor of alcohol emanating from her person. Based on her acknowledgement that she had been in a crash about an hour earlier (only a half hour had passed since the crash) and her admission to operating the vehicle after consuming alcohol, Sergeant D’Ambola began his DWI investigation.

Colleen acknowledged consuming alcohol about 2 hours earlier and also told Sergeant D’Ambola that she had not consumed any more alcohol since she returned home. Colleen entered the vehicle to retrieve her documents, and he noticed her fumbling with the paperwork. Around this time, Patrolman Michael Gamba arrived on scene to administer field sobriety exercises.

Patrolman Gamba started with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) exercise, and he observed a lack of smooth pursuit, distinct and sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation, and the onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degrees. He also observed vertical nystagmus in both eyes. The next exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Colleen did not touch heel-to-toe on each step, raised her arms from her sides, and turned improperly. The final exercise was the One Leg Stand test. During the One Leg Stand test, Colleen displayed a lack of balance and failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion.

Based on the motor vehicle accident, the odor of alcohol, her admission to consuming alcohol earlier that evening, and her inability to perform the field sobriety exercises, Colleen was placed under arrest for driving while intoxicated. Her vehicle was impounded by L&J Towing for a mandatory 12-hour hold under John’s Law. Patrolman Gamba transported Colleen to Union County Police HQ for further processing.

At police HQ, Colleen was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators and agreed to submit breath samples for testing. Sergeant Faulks with the UCPD operated the Alcotest machine and her Alcotest results indicated a BAC of 0.25%, which was more than trople the legal limit of 0.08%. After submitting breath samples, Colleen was transported to the Cranford Police Department and eventually released to her mother at 2:41 AM after she signed the Potential Liability Warning form on Colleen’s behalf. Colleen was issued the following summonses: Operating under the influence, improper parking within 50 feet of “stop” sign, leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage, failure to report accident, reckless driving, careless driving, and traffic on marked lanes

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