24-Year-Old Arrested for DWI After Fleeing Accident Scene in Hoboken, NJ

On February 17, 2024 around 10:52 AM, Officers Jesse Castellano and Frank Losurdo with the Hoboken Police Department were dispatched to a report of a hit-and-run in the parking lot of 310 Jackson Street. Dispatch reported that the caller on scene observe a male exit a parking spot, strike two parked vehicles, and leave the scene. Upon arrival in the parking lot, they met with the caller, who informed the officers that she was cleaning snow off her vehicle when she observed a Mercedes Benz strike two parked vehicles and exited towards Jackson Street. 
The officers recalled seeing a vehicle matching the caller’s description being driven by a light skinned male wearing a gray shirt and hat, and they informed dispatch so that they give that description to other units. Dispatch informed them that they were able to obtain a full New Jersey registration for the striking vehicle and identified the registered owner, and Officer Olivera made his way towards the apartment complex where the vehicle was registered. As he approached the parking garage, he located a gray Mercedes Benz with heavy damage and activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop. The driver was already known to the Hoboken Police Department as 24-year-old Raffaelle, based on prior interactions.
The driver initially failed to stop, and he led police all the way towards Washington Street and Observer Highway. When he finally stopped, the officers made contact with Raffaelle and instructed him to exit the vehicle. Officer Olivera believed that he was under the influence, and called for Officer Archilla to arrive on scene and administer field sobriety exercises. 
Officer Archilla started with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test and the final exercise was the One Leg Stand test. Based on the witness report of him fleeing the scene of an accident, his prior history with the Hoboken Police, and his inability to perform the field sobriety exercises adequately, Raffaelle was placed under arrest for driving while intoxicated. He was transported to the Hoboken Police Department for further processing. 
At the police station, Raffaelle was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators and agreed to submit breath samples for testing. His Alcotest results indicated a BAC of 0.00%, but the officers had already suspected that he must be under the influence of another substance. Sergeant Gomez contacted Sergeant Bisone, a certified DRE with the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, but he was unable to respond to police HQ because he was on another call. Officer Olivera then asked Raffaelle if he would consent to a blood draw, and he agreed. 
Officers Cuevas and Arocho transported Raffaelle to Hoboken University Medical Center (HUMC) for a blood draw. The results of the blood draw have not been released to us at this time. Raffaelle was eventually released to his grandmother pending his court appearance after she signed the Potential Liability Warning form on Raffaelle’s behalf. Officer Archilla issued him the following summonses: Driving while intoxicated, driving while intoxicated in a school zone, unlicensed driver, failure to observe instructions of officer, and leaving the scene of an accident.

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