Drunk Woman With an Attitude Causes 3-Car Crash at DOUBLE the Legal Limit

On October 23, 2023 around 1:19 AM, officers with the Union Township Police Department were dispatched to a motor vehicle collision involving a 2020 BMW 330 which had struck a parked 2016 Toyota Camry which in turn struck the 2021 Chevrolet Suburban in front. When they arrived on scene, they noticed the BMW and Toyota had sustained severe damages, while the Chevrolet Suburban had also sustained severe damages. The driver of the BMW was identified as 28-year-old Justine. She informed the officers that she was driving southbound on Burnet Road while a truck in front of her was driving erratically and that caused her to swerve and strike the 2 parked cars.

Officer Kevin McDonough arrived on scene shortly afterwards, and as he was speaking with Justine, he detected the odor of alcohol and observed other indicators of impairment. Justine admitted to consuming alcohol at a friend’s house before operating a motor vehicle. Based on his suspicion of impairment, Justine was asked to perform field sobriety exercises.

Officer McDonough started with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. During the HGN test, Officer McDonough 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, Justine did not touch heel-to toe on each step, turned improperly, and took an incorrect number of steps when returning to the starting position. The third exercise was the One Leg Stand test. During the One Leg Stand test, Justine failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion and put her foot down before the test was complete.

Based on the motor vehicle crash, the odor of alcohol, and her inability to perform the field sobriety exercises satisfactorily, Justine was placed under arrest for operating under the influence. Her vehicle was impounded by for a mandatory 12-hour hold under John’s Law. The Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators was read to her at the scene and she agreed ot submit breath samples before the officers placed her in the patrol car.

Officer Thomas Kelly arrived on scene and initially transported her to the Springfield Police Department along with Officer Raphael Rossi because the Alcotest machine at the Union Township Police Department was not working properly. Her Alcotest results indicated a BAC level of 0.16%, which was double the legal limit of 0.08%. Once they finished processing her, Justine was transported back to the Union Township Police Department for further processing. She was eventually released to her a sober adult pending her court appearance after they signed the Potential Liability Warning form on Justine’s behalf. Officer McDonough issued her the following citations: operating under the influence, reckless driving, careless driving, and traffic on marked lanes

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