Former Cop's Wife Arrested for DWI After Hit-and-Run Crash

Around 9:40 PM on February 21, 2024, officers with the Elmwood Park Police Department were dispatched to a report of hit-and-run crash involving 3 vehicles on Locust Street. A resident called and informed them that he observed the vehicle fleeing the scene on his surveillance camera. Moments later, officers received another call regarding a possibly intoxicated female blocking the exit of Chase Bank on Van Riper Avenue near South Center Street. Officer Jerel Harris arrived on scene and made contact with the female who had been driving a 2019 Porsche Cayenne. The female was identified as Joanna Drelich, the wife of retired Garfield Police Officer Gregory Drelich. Joanna told Officer Harris that she had been in Wallington earlier that evening and that she was heading home.

As Officer Harris was speaking with Joanna, he detected the odor of alcohol and observed indicators of impairment. Around the same time, Lieutenant Robert Centkowski exited his patrol car on Locust Street and observed that a parked 2023 Toyota Sienna, 2021 Toyota Sienna, and 2023 Toyota Rav4 had all sustained damages on their driver side. Officer Harris also observed damages on the passenger side of the Porsche that Joanna was driving, which would be consistent with striking the other 3 parked vehicles. Officers Cachola, Griffin, Juliano, and Sistaro all arrived on scene to assist. Lieutenant Centkowski also headed over to Van Riper Avenue to make contact with Joanna after making a note of the 3 damaged vehicles on Locust Street.

Based on their suspicion of impairment, Lieutenant Centkowski asked Joanna to perform field sobriety exercises. The first exercise was the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. During the HGN test, Lieutenant Centkowski 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, Joanna failed to touch heel-to-toe on each step while taking an incorrect number of steps. The final exercise was the One Leg Stand test. During the One Leg Stand test, Joanna failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion and put her foot down before the test was complete.

Based on the damages to her vehicle as well as the other parked cars, her admission to consuming alcohol, and her inability to satisfactorily complete the field sobriety exercises, Officer Harris placed Joanna under arrest for driving under the influence. Her vehicle was impounded for a 12-hour hold under to John’s Law. She was transported to the Elmwood Park Police Department for further processing.

At police headquarters, Joanna was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators, but she refused to submit breath samples. However, she did agree to answer questions and admitted to drinking wine before driving. After the officers finished their paperwork, Joanna was released to her son pending her court appearance after he signed the Potential Liability Warning form on Joanna’s behalf.

Joanna was issued the following citations:

-Operating under the influence

-Refusal to submit to chemical test

-Leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage

-Reckless driving

-Careless driving

Court records indicate that on June 25, 2024, Joanna pleaded guilty to operating under the influence while the citation for leaving the scene of an accident was downgraded to failure to report an accident. As a result of her guilty pleas, Joanna had to use an ignition interlock device for 3 months, spend 12 hours at an intoxicated driver resource center, and pay a total of $780 in fines. The other 3 citations were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

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

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.