A Night Out in Morristown Ends with a DWI Arrest for 24-Year-Old Woman

Around 2:09 AM on March 16, 2024, Patrolman Anthony D’Angelo with the Hanover Township Police Department was initially headed over to serve as backup for Patrolman Morrisroe on another potential drunken driving case. As he was driving westbound on Route 10 and approaching the intersection of Whippany Road, he observed a 2019 Honda Civic crossing the double yellow line and driving on the wrong side of the road. He followed the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop on Whippany Road near the intersection with Fairchild Place. He made contact with the driver of the Honda, who was identified as 24-year-old Alejandra.

As Alejandra was searching for her documents, he noticed that her movements were slow. Alejandra told him that she was headed home after getting dinner in Morristown. She told him that she had been at The Homestead, a popular bar in Morristown. While she initially denied consuming any alcohol, she would later admit to consuming alcohol earlier that evening. Based on his suspicion of impairment, Alejandra was asked to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises.

Patrolman D’Angelo started with the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Alejandra did not touch heel-to-toe on each step, turned improperly, and failed to keep her arms at her sides. The second exercise was the One Leg Stand test. During the One Leg Stand test, Alejandra failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion, did not count in the correct sequence, and put her foot down before the test was complete. The final exercise was the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test, and it was administered by Patrolman Labracio with the East Hanover Police Department.

Based on her erratic driving, the odor of alcohol, her admission to consuming alcohol, and her inability to satisfactorily complete the field sobriety exercises, Alejandra 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 by Ajaco Towing for a 12-hour hold according to John’s Law. Patrolman D’Angelo initially transported Alejandra to the Parsippany Police Department for the administration of the breath test.

At the Parsippany Police Department, Alejandra was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators, and she agreed to submit breath samples. Sergeant Prach administered the Alcotest machine, and her results indicated a BAC level of 0.12%, which was over the legal limit of 0.08%. After they were finished processing Alejandra, she was transported to the Hanover Township Police Department for further processing. After she was photographed and her summonses were issued, she was released to a sober adult pending her court appearance after he signed the Potential Liability Warning on Alejandra’s behalf. Patrolman D’Angelo issued Alejandra the following citations: Operating under the influence, reckless driving, careless driving, and traffic on marked lanes

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