Woman Gets Drunk While Planning her Aunt's Funeral

Around 2:20 AM on April 5, 2025, Patrolman David Marchetti with the Point Pleasant Beach Police Department observed a white 2019 Honda fail to signal when exiting from the Boatyard. He eventually activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop, and driver pulled over in the vicinity of Chicago Avenue and Sanborn Avenue. He exited his patrol car and made contact with the driver, who was identified as 28-year-old Sarah Knipe.

As he was speaking with Sarah, he detected the odor of alcohol and observed other indicators of impairment. Sarah told the officer that she was coming from the Boatyard earlier that evening, and admitted to consuming 2 Miller Lite drinks. She also stated that her aunt had just passed away. Based on his suspicion of impairment, Sarah was eventually asked to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises.

The first exercise was the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. The second exercise was the One Leg Stand test. During the One Leg Stand test, Sarah failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion. The final exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Sarah failed to touch heel-to-toe on each step, took an incorrect number of steps, and turned improperly.

Based on her erratic driving, her lack of coherence, the odor of alcohol, and her inability to satisfactorily complete the field sobriety exercises, Sarah was placed under arrest for DWI. Her vehicle was impounded for a 12-hour hold according to John’s Law, while Patrolman Marchetti transported Sarah to the Point Pleasant Beach Police Department for further processing.

At the station, the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators was read to her, and she agreed to submit breath samples. After the officer finished processing Sarah, she was eventually released pending her court appearance.

Patrolman Marchetti issued Sarah the following traffic tickets:

-Operating under the influence (39:4-50)

-Reckless driving (39:4-96)

-Failure to give proper signal (39:4-126)

Court records indicate that on August 26, 2025, Sarah was found guilty of operating under the influence. As a result of her conviction, Sarah had to spend 12 hours at an intoxicated driver resource center, use an ignition interlock device for 3 months, and pay a total of $383. She was also given a suspended sentence of 2 days in jail, while the other 2 citations were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

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