Woman Arrested for DWI After Leaving the Verona Inn at Almost TRIPLE the Legal Limit

Around 7:41 PM on December 17, 2023, Officer Aaron Seubert with the Verona Police Department observed the driver of a 2007 Ford Focus making a wide turn while turning onto Lakeside Avenue after driving eastbound on Bloomfield Avenue. The driver was also using a wireless device. Officer Seubert made a U-Turn, proceeded southbound on Lakeside Avenue, and observed the driver failing to stay within the lane boundaries. He activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop and the driver pulled over on Lakeside Avenue near Cunningham Drive. 
The driver was identified as 29-year-old Ashley, and Officer Seubert told her that she was using a wireless device and swerving across lanes. Ashley told the officer that her boyfriend was sick and that she was headed towards the Caldwell Diner, even though she was going in the opposite direction. She was asked where her boyfriend lives and she initially responded by saying that he lived at the Verona Tavern before stating that he lived at the Verona Inn. The Verona Inn is actually a bar in Verona, New Jersey. Ashley admitted to consuming 1 shot at the Verona Inn before driving, but she would later admit to having 2 shots at the bar. Officer Seubert asked Ashley for her documents and Officer Clark arrived on scene to assist as he returned to his patrol car.
Based on the officers’ suspicion of impairment, Ashley was asked to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises after Lieutenant Scheper arrived on scene. The first exercise was the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. During the HGN test, Officer Seubert observed the lack of smooth pursuit, distinct and sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation, and the onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degrees. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Ashley failed to touch heel-to-toe on each step, took an incorrect number of steps, and failed to turn. The final exercise was the One Leg Stand test, and Ashley failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion while displaying a lack of balance. 
Based on her erratic driving, the odor of alcohol, her admission to consuming alcohol before driving, and her inability to adequately complete the field sobriety exercises, Officer Seubert placed Ashley under arrest for driving under the influence. Her vehicle was impounded for a mandatory 12-hour hold under John’s Law. She was transported to the Verona Police Department for further processing. 
At the Verona Police Department, Ashley was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators and agreed to submit breath samples for testing. Her Alcotest results indicated a BAC of 0.22%, which was almost triple the legal limit of 0.08%. After the officers were finished with their paperwork, Ashley eventually released to a friend after he signed the Potential Liability Warning Form on Ashley’s behalf. She was issued the following summonses: Operating under the influence, reckless driving, careless driving, use of hand-held wireless telephones, traffic on marked lanes, improper turn, and open container of alcohol or unsealed cannabis in motor vehicle
Court records indicate that on June 13, 2024, Ashley was found guilty of operating under the influence and the careless driving citation was downgraded to obstructing traffic. As a result of being found guilty, Ashley’s had to use an ignition interlock device for 3 months, spend 12 hours at an intoxicated driver resource center, and pay a total of $880 in fines. The other 5 citations were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. 

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