Drunk Woman Falls Asleep at a Traffic Light Before DWI Arrest in Chatham Township, New Jersey

Around 4:00 AM on March 25, 2023, officers with the Chatham Township Police Department were dispatched to a report of a black Jeep on the wrong side of the roadway on Southern Boulevard by Shunpike Road after someone called 911 and reported it to the Morris County Communications Center. Around 4:03 AM, Sergeant Scott Herchick located a black 2021 Jeep Cherokee that was facing north in the southbound lane of Southern Boulevard. The gear was not in park and the driver was asleep behind the wheel of her vehicle. Sergeant Herchick made numerous attempts at knocking on her window before she finally awakened. He advised her to put the vehicle in park, and she complied.

The driver, later identified as Melissa, was asked for her documents. She was not immediately able to locate her documents and she exhibited indicators of impairment. When Sergeant Herchick asked her how much she had to drink, she responded by saying “probably too much.” She would later admit to consuming multiple beers earlier that evening. Patrolman James Lattoz arrived on scene to assist around this time, and based on their suspicion of impairment, Melissa was asked to exit the vehicle perform field sobriety exercises.

Patrolman Lattoz started with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. 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, failed to keep her arms at her sides, 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, Melissa failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion and put her foot down before the test was complete. Patrolman Lattoz offered her an opportunity to attempt the test again, but her second attempt was also unsuccessful.

Based on her falling asleep behind the wheel of her vehicle, the odor of alcohol, and her inability to satisfactorily complete the field sobriety exercises, Melissa was placed under arrest. After she was placed under arrest, Lieutenant Heather Glogolich with the Morris Township Police Department was called on scene to conduct a search before placing Melissa inside the patrol car. Her vehicle was impounded by T&J Towing for a 12-hour hold according to John’s Law. Patrolman Lattoz transported Melissa to the Chatham Township Police Department for further processing.

At the station, Melissa was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators, and she agreed to submit breath samples. Her Alcotest results indicated a BAC level of 0.22%, which was almost triple the legal limit of 0.08%. After they were finished processing Melissa, she was released to her mother pending her court appearance she signed the Potential Liability Warning on Melissa’s behalf. Patrolman Lattoz issued Melissa the following citations: Operating under the influence and careless driving

Court records indicate that on January 4, 2024, the citation for operating under the influence was dismissed. However, she was found guilty of careless driving. As a result of being found guilty of careless driving, her license was revoked for 30 days and she had to pay a total of $240 in fines.

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