Police in New Jersey believe that a 56-year-old woman was drunk when she drove in the wrong direction on the Garden State Parkway in the early morning hours of Oct. 9. A state police representative said that the Egg Harbor resident entered the wrong way of the parkway from the Atlantic City Service Area. The woman is then said to have continued northbound in the southbound lanes for about 12 miles before exiting near New Gretna.
According to a New Jersey State Police report, a call was received at about 5 a.m. concerning a wrong-way driver on the Garden State Parkway near milepost 51. A trooper at the Bass River Station was subsequently dispatched to locate the vehicle in question.
The trooper tasked with responding to the call observed the vehicle described by the caller as she exited the Bass River Station facility. The trooper claims she saw the vehicle strike a curb after entering the parking lot from the southbound lanes. The driver was subsequently taken into custody on several charges, including DWI, reckless driving and refusing to provide a breath sample.
New Jersey motorists convicted of driving drunk may face severe penalties, but even evidence that seems compelling may be challenged by a criminal defense attorney. The toxicology test results used to establish intoxication may not be reliable in certain situations, and the behavior of police officers may sometimes go beyond clearly defined guidelines. Even when the evidence in a drunk driving case withstands such scrutiny, a defense attorney could seek to mitigate the penalties involved during plea negotiations with prosecutors.
Source: CBS Philly, “Cops: Woman suspected of DWI drives wrong-way on NJ Turnpike, crashes at police station“, October 14, 2014
