Extremely Intoxicated Woman Arrested for DWI After Driving in the Shoulder in Allenhurst, NJ

Around 11:12 PM on February 26, 2022, Patrolman Marc Eustace with the Allenhurst Police Department observed a 2020 Toyota without activated headlights driving in the shoulder on Norwood Avenue northbound near the intersection with Cedar Avenue. He activated his emergency lights and initiated a traffic stop as the vehicle continued heading north, and the driver stopped on Norwood Avenue just past Neptune Avenue in the neighboring borough of Deal. After she pulled over, Patrolman Eustace made contact with the driver, who was identified as Michelle.

As he approached the vehicle and knocked on her windows, Patrolman Eustace noticed that she was speaking with someone on her Bluetooth, and they were talking about her possibly getting a DWI. Michelle was asked for her documents, and she seemed to fumble around with the documents. Michelle told the officer that she was coming from Long Branch, even though Long Branch was much further north and she was heading north on Norwood Avenue. Patrolman Eustace speculated that she was coming north from Asbury Park because it was a short distance south. Michelle denied consuming any alcohol earlier that evening, but based on his suspicion of impairment, Patrolman Eustace asked Michelle to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises.

The first exercise was the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. During the HGN test, Patrolman Eustace observed the lack of smooth pursuit, distinct and sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation, and the onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degrees. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Michelle failed to touch heel-to-toe on each step, took an incorrect number of steps before she was reminded to turn, and failed to keep her arms at her sides. The final exercise was the One Leg Stand test, and Michelle failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion or count in the correct sequence.

Based on her erratic driving and her inability to adequately complete the field sobriety exercises, Patrolman Eustace placed Michelle under arrest for driving under the influence. Her vehicle was impounded for a mandatory 12-hour hold under Law. She was transported by Patrolman Eustace to the Allenhurst Police Department for further processing.

At police HQ, Michelle was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators and initially agreed to submit breath samples for testing. However, she vomited 15 minutes into the 20-minute observation period. When the observation period was restarted, she seemed to fall into a deep sleep and she was evaluated by First Aid. After she was cleared by First Aid, they started a third observation period, but Michelle vomited again before the Alcotest could be administered. Based on her state of impairment, First Aid was called again Michelle was transported to Monmouth Medical Center for a blood draw. Michelle was eventually released pending her court appearance on March 15, 2022 with following summonses: Operating under the influence, reckless driving, traffic on marked lanes, and failure to use lighted lamps

Court records indicate that on January 5, 2023, Michelle was found guilty of operating under the influence. As a result of being found guilty, Michelle was required to spend 12 hours at an intoxicated driver resource center, use an ignition interlock device for 3 months, and pay a total of $740 in fines. The other 3 citations were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

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