Woman Arrested for DWI on Independence Day at Over DOUBLE the Legal Limit

Around 1:42 AM on July 4, 2024, Officer Michael Cappello with the Point Pleasant Police Department observed the driver of a black 2021 Nissan Rogue cross over the double-yellow lines on Route 88 while headed eastbound in the vicinity of Herbertsville Road. As he began following the vehicle, he noticed that the vehicle crossed the double-yellow line again near Benedict Street before stopping past the line at a red light and making an erratic left turn onto Bay Avenue northbound. He initiated a traffic stop on Bay Avenue northbound near the 900 block. After the vehicle pulled over, he Officer Cappello then made contact with the driver to ask for her documents, and she was identified as Rebecca.

Rebecca told Officer Cappello that she was coming from the Idle Hour Restaurant and Bar (2600 Route 88) after picking up her passenger and that she was headed home. As he was speaking with Rebecca, he detected the odor of alcohol and observed other indicators of impairment. Around this time, Officer Matthew Ipploito arrived on scene to assist. When she was asked how much she had to drink, Rebecca initially denied consuming any alcohol before subsequently admitting to consuming some earlier. Officer Cappello asked Rebecca to recite the alphabet from ‘D’ to ‘T’ and then count backwards from 33 to 13. She recited the alphabet correctly but counted back to 11 instead of 13. Based on his suspicion of impairment, Rebecca was asked to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises.

The first exercise was the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. During the HGN test, Officer Cappello observed the lack of smooth pursuit, distinct and sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation, and the onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degrees. He did not observe vertical nystagmus. The second exercise was the One Leg Stand test, and Rebecca failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion and put her foot down before the test was complete. The final exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Rebecca failed to touch heel-to-toe on each step, did not count aloud, and took an incorrect number of steps.

Based on her erratic driving, the odor of alcohol, her admission to consuming alcohol before driving, and her inability to adequately complete the field sobriety exercises, Patrolman Macarico placed Rebecca under arrest for driving under the influence. Her vehicle was impounded by J.C. & Daughters Towing for a mandatory 12-hour hold under John’s Law. She was transported to the Hopatcong Police Department for further processing.

At the Point Pleasant Police Department, Rebecca was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators and agreed to submit breath samples for testing. Her Alcotest results indicated a BAC of 0.198%, which was more than double the legal limit of 0.08%. After the officers were finished with their paperwork, Rebecca eventually released to her mother after she signed the Potential Liability Warning Form on Rebecca’s behalf. She was issued the following summonses: Operating under the influence, reckless driving, careless driving, and traffic on marked lanes

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