Drunk Woman Flips her Sister’s Car After Crashing It

Around 2:13 AM on April 1, 2025, Patrolman Benero Bernal with the Westfield Police Department as dispatched to a report of a motor vehicle accident involving an overturned vehicle on Prospect Street. The caller advised dispatch that they were trying to flip the car over. Patrolman Bernal arrived on scene and noticed that the vehicle had already been flipped. He made contact with the driver of a red 2003 Honda Civic, and observed that it has struck a parked 2020 Honda CR-V.

The driver was later identified as 24-year-old Brianna, and she told the officers that she was headed to her friend’s house nearby after leaving work at Crossroads in Garwood, NJ. As he was speaking with Brianna, he detected the odor of alcohol and observed other indicators of impairment. Brianna told him that she was headed home after working as a bartender. She would later admit to consuming 2 beers before leaving work.

Based on her apparent injuries, first responders arrived on scene to evaluate her. They placed a bandage on her fingers, and she ultimately declined to be transported to the hospital. After she declined transport to the hospital, Patrolman Bernal asked her to perform field sobriety exercises on the sidewalk.

The first exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Brianna failed to keep her arms at her sides and did not complete the test as instructed. The second exercise was the One Leg Stand test. During the One Leg Stand test, Brianna failed to raise her foot in the prior 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 completed by Sergeant Desiato.

Based on the motor vehicle accident, the odor of alcohol, her admission to consuming alcohol earlier that evening, and her inability to satisfactorily complete the field sobriety exercises, Brianna 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. Patrolman Bernal transported Brianna to the Westfield Police Department for further processing, while Officer Bace remained on scene until the vehicle could be towed.

At the station, Brianna was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators, and she agreed to submit breath samples. The test had to be administered after 2 separate 20-minute observation periods, but her Alcotest results eventually indicated a BAC level of 0.11%. After they were finished processing Brianna, she was released to a sober adult pending her court appearance after he signed the Potential Liability Warning on Brianna’s behalf. She was issued the following citations: Operating under the influence and careless driving

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