Drunk Woman Crashes her Car After a Breakup in Verona, New Jersey

On April 16, 2022 around 2:31 AM, Officer Joseph Clark with the Verona Police Department were dispatched to the scene of a motor vehicle accident on Bloomfield Avenue involving a black 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee and a 2007 Honda Civic. As arrived on scene, Officer Clark noticed that the Jeep had struck the Honda Civic in the rear. He made contact with the driver of the Jeep, who was identified as Monica. Officer Heriberto Carattini also arrived on scene shortly afterwards and spoke with the occupants of the other vehicle.

Monica told Officer Clark that she had just broken up with her girlfriend earlier that evening, and she admitted to consuming alcohol before operating a motor vehicle. As he was speaking with Monica, he detected the odor of alcohol and noticed other signs of impairment. Based on his suspicion of impairment, Monica was escorted to the parking lot of a building nearby to perform field sobriety exercises.

Officer Clark started with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. During the HGN test, Officer Clark observed the lack of smooth pursuit and distinct and sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation in both eyes. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Monica did not touch heel-to-toe on each step, failed to keep her arms at her sides, and took an incorrect number of steps. The final exercise was the One Leg Stand test, and Monica failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion while displaying a lack of balance.

Based on the motor vehicle accident, the indicators of impairment, her admission to consuming alcohol, and her inability to adequately perform the field sobriety exercises, Monica was placed under arrest for driving while intoxicated. Officer Clark transported her to the Verona Police Department for further processing. Another officer stayed with the vehicle until it was towed for a mandatory 12-hour impound as required by John’s Law.

At the Verona Police Department, Officer Clark read her the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators, and she initially agreed to submit breath samples. Officer Carattini administered the Alcotest machine, but she failed to provide adequate breath samples despite multiple attempts. As a result, she was charged with refusing to submit breath samples.

After she was processed, Monica was released to a sober adult pending her court appearance after he signed the Potential Liability Warning form on her behalf. Officer Clark issued her the following summonses: Operating under the influence, refusal to submit to chemical test, and reckless driving

Court records indicate that on May 25, 2022, Monica was found guilty of operating under the influence and refusal to submit to chemical test. She was required to use an ignition interlock device for 3 months, spend 12 hours at an intoxicated driver resource center, and pay a total of $923 in fines. The other citation was dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

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