20-Year-Old Arrested for DWI After Almost Striking a Bus

Around 11:28 PM on November 1, 2023, Patrolman Jacob Paris with the Magnolia Police Department observed the driver of a 1996 Toyota Corolla swerving on White Horse Pike in the vicinity of Coopertown Road as the vehicle was headed southbound. As he followed the vehicle, the driver continued to swerve and nearly struck a bus. He activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop and the driver pulled over on White Horse Pike near Park Avenue in the neighboring town of Somerdale.

The driver was identified as 20-year-old Jianna, and Patrolman Paris told he observed her swerving across lanes. Jianna told the officer that she did not have a valid driver’s license as Patrolman Paris detected the odor of alcohol and observed other indicators of impairment. She told the officer that they were headed to her boyfriend’s mother’s house and initially denied consuming any alcohol before operating a motor vehicle. However, she would later admit to taking shots of Bacardi earlier that evening.

Based on the officers’ suspicion of impairment, Jianna was asked to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises after Patrolman Brick Wilce arrived on scene. The first exercise was the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. During the HGN test, Patrolman Wilce 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, Jianna failed to touch heel-to-toe on each step and turned improperly. The third exercise was the One Leg Stand test, and Jianna failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion and counted in an incorrect sequence. The final exercise was the recitation of the alphabet from “C” to “Y” and Jianna failed to complete this test adequately.

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 Paris placed Jianna under arrest for driving under the influence. The vehicle that she had been driving was impounded for a mandatory 12-hour hold under John’s Law. She was transported to the Magnolia Police Department for further processing.

At the Magnolia Police Department, Jianna was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators and agreed to submit breath samples for testing. Her Alcotest results indicated a BAC of 0.12%, which was above legal limit of 0.08% and 12 times New Jersey’s legal limit of 0.01% for drivers under 21 years of age. After the officers were finished with their paperwork, Jianna eventually released to a sober adult after she signed the Potential Liability Warning Form on Jianna’s behalf. She was issued the following summonses: Operating under the influence, operating a motor vehicle after consuming alcohol underage, reckless driving, careless driving, failure to wear seat belt, driving without a license, failure to have inspection, failure to possess driver insurance card, traffic on marked lanes, and traffic on marked lanes – unsafe lane change

Court records indicate that on May 14, 2024, Jianna was found guilty of operating under the influence and failure to possess driver insurance card. As a result of being found guilty, Jianna’s had to use an ignition interlock device for 3 months, spend 12 hours at an intoxicated driver resource center, and pay a total of $723 in fines. The other 8 citations were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

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