Bartender Arrested for DWI After Fleeing Accident Scene

Around 10:21 PM on November 8 2024, Officer Markovy Jacques and Colin Scanlon with the Westfield Police Department were dispatched to a motor vehicle accident at St. Marks Avenue and St. Paul Avenue. The caller described a black Dodge Durango SUV. Officer Scanlon responded to the scene while Officer Jacques patrolled the area. As he headed westbound on North Avenue and made a left turn onto Crossway Place, Officer Jacques saw a vehicle matching the caller’s description. The driver of the Dodge Durango made an erratic right turn from South Avenue West onto Crossway Place. He followed the vehicle and activated his emergency lights after the driver turned left onto North Avenue. The driver stopped on North Avenue in the vicinity of Whittier Avenue in the neighboring town of Scotch Plains. Officer Jacques notified dispatch of the traffic stop and made contact with the driver, who was identified as Melissa.

As he was speaking with Melissa, he detected the odor of alcohol and observed other indicators of impairment. Melissa told him that she was headed home after working as a bartender. Sergeant Wierzbicki arrived on scene to assist and Melissa was asked to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises.

Officer Jacques Started with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. During the HGN test, Officer Jacques 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, Melissa did not touch heel-to-toe on each step and took an incorrect number of steps. The final exercise was the One Leg Stand test. During the One Leg Stand test, Melissa failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion and put her foot down before the test was complete.

Based on the reported motor vehicle accident, her erratic driving, the odor of alcohol, and her inability to satisfactorily complete the field sobriety exercises, Melissa was placed under arrest for driving under the influence. After she was placed under arrest and placed in the patrol car, her vehicle was impounded for a 12-hour hold according to John’s Law. Officer Jacques transported Melissa to the Westfield Police Department for further processing, while Sergeant Wierzbicki remained on scene until the vehicle could be towed by George’s Towing and Recovery.

At the station, Melissa was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators, and she initially agreed to submit breath samples. However, she did not cooperate during the administration of the Alcotest and she was ultimately charged with refusal. After they were finished processing Melissa, she was released to her father pending her court appearance after he signed the Potential Liability Warning on Melissa’s behalf. She was issued the following citations: Operating under the influence, careless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to report motor vehicle accident, refusal to provide breath samples, consent to take breath samples, failure to possess driver’s license, and failure to possess driver insurance card

----------------------------------------------

Please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and consider supporting this channel (email us for more information). Our content is shared for educational and news gathering purposes. We are in compliance with YouTube's Fair Use Policy because we edit several long clips into a concise story. This is similar to other law enforcement channels on YouTube. All videos and case documents were obtained pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. (P.L. 2024, c.16). Defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty.

The New Jersey Supreme Court has previously affirmed in Salzano v. North Jersey Media Group, 993 A.2d 778 (2010) that “The fair-report privilege reflects the judgment that the need, in a self-governing society, for free-flowing information about matters of public interest outweighs concerns over the uncompensated injury to a person's reputation.” This video advances a compelling public interest. The summary of events was based on records that are “open to public view through open access to public records” as defined in the Salzano case. In Ramos v. Flowers, 429 N.J. Super. 13, the Appellate Division of the Superior Court has also affirmed the right to film law enforcement interactions.