Drunk Mom Flees Crash Scene to Pick Up 15-Year-Old Child

Around 3:53 PM on May 11, 2023, Officer Christopher Hopf with the Mendham Borough Police Department was dispatched to a report of a concrete street sign post that had been knocked over. He arrived on scene and made contact with 2 men who were working a residence nearby, and they told him that a blue Mercedes had struck the sign post before fleeing the scene of the accident. As they were speaking with them, they observed a blue 2017 Mercedes matching the witness description drive past them. Officer Hopf initiated contact with the driver, who was identified as Michele.

As Officer Hopf was speaking with Michele, he detected the odor of alcohol. He also noticed that her 15-year-old son was in the passenger seat. An examination of her vehicle indicated damages consistent with striking a concrete sign post. Officer Hopf asked her if she had anything to drink, and she initially denied consuming any alcohol. However, Officer Hopf called for Sergeant Chris Irons to come on scene and assist with the investigation based on his suspicion of impairment.

Officer Hopf started by asking Michele to recite the alphabet from “E” to “T” and count backwards from 87 to 68. Michele was unable to complete these exercises satisfactorily. Officer Hopf then started field sobriety exercises with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. During the HGN test, Officer Hopf observed the lack of smooth pursuit, distinct and sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation, and the onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degrees. She also failed to complete the One Leg Stand and Walk and Turn tests satisfactorily.

Based on the motor vehicle accident, the odor of alcohol, and her inability to satisfactorily complete the field sobriety exercises, Officer Hopf placed Michele under arrest for driving under the influence. After she was placed under arrest, her husband took possession of the vehicle. Officer Hopf transported Michele to the Mendham Borough Police Department for further processing.

At police headquarters, Michele was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators, and she initially agreed to submit breath samples. She eventually submitted 1 valid breath sample which indicated a BAC level of 0.17%, which was more than double the legal limit of 0.08%. However, she continued coughing afterwards and failed to submit a second sample so she was ultimately charged with a refusal. Her husband was given a copy of the Potential Liability Warning form to sign on Michele’s behalf, but he refused to sign the form. Michele was issued the following traffic citations: Operating under the influence, refusal to submit to breath test, reckless driving, failure to inspect, failure to report accident, and leaving the scene of an accident

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