Drunk Woman TOTALS Nissan Rogue After Crashing Into a Guardrail (0.19% BAC)

Second DWI Arrest

On August 9, 2022 around 8:55 PM, Patrolman Thomas Anderson with the Evesham Township Police Department was dispatched to the scene of a motor vehicle accident involving a 2018 Nissan Rogue on Taunton Lake Road. When he arrived on scene around 9:00 PM, he observed that the vehicle had struck the guardrails on both sides of the road and that the vehicle was blocking the roadway on a bridge in front of 199 Taunton Lake Road. Patrolwoman Danielle Torres made contact with the driver of the Nissan Rogue as she was being evaluated by first responders, and she was identified as Marie Mendez.

Marie declined further medical attention. Patrolman Anderson spoke with 2 witnesses who claimed that Marie had tailgated behind their vehicle and that the observed the crash. The witnesses also informed Patrolman Anderson that the observed a bottle of wine inside the vehicle. Based on the odor of alcohol and the witness accounts, the officers began their DWI investigation. Marie told the officers that she was coming from her mother’s residence and denied consuming alcohol, but she was asked to perform field sobriety exercises.

Sergeant Robert Hansbury started with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. During the HGN test, Sergeant Hansbury observed the lack of smooth pursuit and distinct, sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation in both eyes, and the onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degrees in both eyes. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test and it was administered by Patrolman Anderson. During the Walk and Turn test, Marie 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 Marie failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion while displaying a lack of balance.

Based on the motor vehicle accident, the odor of alcohol, the witness account regarding the bottle of wine, and her inability to adequately perform the field sobriety exercises, Marie was placed under arrest for driving while intoxicated. Patrolman Anderson transported her to the Evesham Township Police Department for further processing. Her vehicle was towed for a mandatory 12-hour impound as required by John’s Law.

At the Evesham Township Police Department, Patrolwoman Torres read her the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators, and she agreed to submit breath samples. Her Alcotest results indicated a BAC level of 0.19%, which was more than double the legal limit of 0.08%. After she was processed, Marie was released to a sober adult pending her court appearance after he signed the Potential Liability Warning form on her behalf. Patrolman Anderson issued her the following summonses: Operating under the influence, careless driving, traffic on marked lanes, and open container

Court records indicate that on November 26, 2022, Marie was arrested again for DWI in Evesham Township, New Jersey. On March 16, 2023, Marie was found guilty of careless driving and her license was revoked for 90 days. The other 3 citations were dismissed as part of the plea agreement. On the same date, Marie was also found guilty of the other DWI from November 26, 2022, while the other citations for traffic on marked lanes and reckless driving from the November DWI were dismissed as part of the plea agreement. In total, she had to pay $1,130 in fines.

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