Woman Crashes into Guardrail Before DWI Arrest in South Brunswick, NJ

Around 10:29 PM on August 6, 2023, Sergeant William Merkler with the South Brunswick Police Department was headed eastbound on Henderson Road and an individual in another vehicle alerted him to a motor vehicle crash nearby. Sergeant Merkler turned right onto Blackhorse Lane and observed a 2023 Jeep Wrangler on the wrong side of the road that had apparently struck the guardrails on both sides of the road. Sergeant Merkler made contact with the driver, later identified as 26-year-old Jetmira, and asked her to explain what happened.

Sergeant Merkler asked Jetmira for her driver credentials and she exited the vehicle. As he was speaking with Jetmira, he detected the odor of alcohol and noticed other indicators of impairment. Within a few minutes, Officer Colleen Murphy arrived on scene and Sergeant Merkler briefed her on the investigation and asked her to administer field sobriety exercises.

Officer Murphy approached Jetmira in the driver seat and asked her if she had consumed alcohol, and she admitted to consuming alcohol in the hour prior. Based on her suspicion of impairment, Officer Murphy asked Jetmira to exit the vehicle and offered her an opportunity to perform field sobriety exercises. She started with the Walk and Turn test, and noticed that Jetmira did not touch heel-to-toe on each step and failed to walk in a straight line. The next field sobriety exercise was the One Leg Stand test. During the One Leg Stand test, Jetmira failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion while displaying a lack of balance.

Based on the traffic accident, the odor of alcohol, her admission to consuming alcohol earlier that evening, and her inability to perform the field sobriety exercises, Jetmira was placed under arrest for driving while intoxicated. Her vehicle was impounded for a mandatory 12-hour hold under John’s Law. Officer Murphy transported Jetmira to the South Brunswick Police Department for further processing.

At the South Brunswick Police Department, Jetmira was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators, and she eventually agreed to submit breath samples for testing. Jetmira’s Alcotest results indicated a BAC of 0.14%, which was more than the legal limit of 0.08%. She was eventually released to a sober adult pending her court appearance after he signed the Potential Liability Warning form on Jetmira’s behalf. Officer Murphy issued her the following summonses: Operating under the influence, reckless driving, careless driving, traffic on marked lanes, and use of hand-held wireless telephones

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