Drunk Woman Blames a Deer for her Horrific Crash

Around 8:24 AM on October 19, 2025, Officers Peter Zabita, Rony Giordano, and Joseph Fagan with the Hopatcong Police Department responded to a report of motor vehicle accident on Dupont Avenue. They arrived on scene and noticed that a gray 2024 Nissan Altima had struck a retaining wall and destroyed a mailbox in front of a residence. The homeowners were outside at the time. Officer Zabita made contact with the driver of the Nissan, while the other officers spoke with the homeowners. The driver was eventually identified as Felicia Doolan.

Felicia told the officer that she swerved to avoid colliding with a deer, and she struck the retaining wall as a result. She claimed that she was heading home after leaving work, before eventually admitting to leaving work and going to see her friend in Brooklyn. As he was speaking with Felicia, he observed indicators of impairment. Based on his suspicion of impairment, Felicia was asked to perform field sobriety exercises.

Officer Zabita started with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. She was then driven to a parking lot to perform the other exercises. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Felicia failed to touch heel-to-toe on each step, turned improperly, and took an improper number of steps in each direction. The final exercise was the One Leg Stand test. During the One Leg Stand test, Felicia failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion.

Based on the motor vehicle crash, her admission to consuming alcohol earlier that evening, and her inability to satisfactorily complete the field sobriety exercises, Felicia was placed under arrest for DWI. Her vehicle was impounded by J.C. & Daughters Towing for a 12-hour hold according to John’s Law. Officer Zabita transported Felicia to the Hopatcong 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. Her Alcotest results indicated a BAC level of 0.09%, which was above the legal limit of 0.08%. After they processed her, Felicia was eventually released pending her court appearance.

Officer Zabita issued Felicia the following traffic tickets:

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

-Reckless driving (39:4-96)

-Careless driving: operate motor vehicle causing property damage (39:4-97A)

-Traffic on marked lanes (39:4-88)

-Open container (39:4-51B)

Court records indicate that on February 25, 2026, Felicia pleaded guilty to operating under the influence. As a result of her conviction, Felicia had to spend 12 hours at an intoxicated driver resource center, use an ignition interlock device for 3 months, and pay a total of $390 in fines. The other 4 citations were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Felicia has previously been arrested on charges of simple assault (2C:12-1A(1)) in Hopatcong, New Jersey on September 18, 2025.

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