A woman in New Jersey was accused of driving drunk after she was involved
in a one-car accident on Feb. 13. According to police in Stafford, the
19-year-old woman knocked over a traffic signal pole near the intersection
of East Bay Avenue and Route 9 around 2:12 a.m. Prior to the collision,
the woman had reportedly crossed over the northbound lanes and entered
the southbound lanes.
The accused drunk driver and a passenger who was in her vehicle were both
uninjured in the crash. After the accident, the driver was taken into
police custody and
charged with DWI before being released to the custody of her sister. She was scheduled
to appear at Stafford Municipal Court to face her drunk driving charge
on a future date.
Members of the Stafford Fire Company and the New Jersey Department of Transportation
responded to the scene of the crash in order to clear the broken pole
and fix the remaining traffic lights. While the crews were working on
the repairs, Stafford police officers were on the scene to help direct
traffic. There were no reports of any other vehicles being involved in
the accident.
Although it is unclear what type of sobriety test the woman in this case
was given, police often administer both a field sobriety test and a breath
test when they believe a driver is intoxicated. Neither of these testing
methods are perfect, and a person accused of driving drunk may be able
to build a strong defense by pointing out flaws in the tests. For instance,
a defendant may argue that the arresting police officer did not follow
protocol while administering a field sobriety test and that the results
of a breath test fell within an established margin of error.
Source: OC Signal, "19 year old woman charged with DWI in Stafford," Feb. 13, 2015