Around 7:03 PM on May 21, 2023, Sergeant Matthew Gajewski with the Union Beach Police Department was on patrol. He observed a disabled 2020 Toyota SUV with a flat tire on Shore Road in the vicinity of Morningside Avenue. He advised dispatch of a disabled vehicle and made contact with the driver, who was identified as 45-year-old Justine Meadow. As he began to interact with the driver, he noticed that her speech was slurred and he detected the odor of alcohol in the vehicle.

Justine told the officer that she was coming from Atlantic Highlands and that her vehicle had a flat tire because she hit a pothole while heading towards Middletown. Sergeant Gajewski asked her if she had consumed any alcohol, but she denied being under the influence. She also refused to provide Sergeant Gajewski with her license, registration, and insurance when he asked her to do so. Based upon his suspicion of impairment, he offered Justine an opportunity to participate in field sobriety exercises.

Sergeant Gajewski started with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test, but he was unable to complete the test because Justine refused to follow instructions. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Justine did not walk heel-to-toe in a straight line and failed to count her steps as instructed. The third exercise was the One Leg Stand test, and Justine began stumbling and attempted to lean on her vehicle for support. Sergeant Gajewski ended the test after 21 seconds.

Based on her slurred speech, the odor of alcohol on her person, and her inability to adequately complete the field sobriety exercises, Sergeant Gajewski placed Justine under arrest for driving under the influence. Patrolman Matthew Olivo arrived on scene to assist around this time. Sergeant Gajewski was ultimately able to retrieve her license, registration and insurance after placing Justine in the patrol car. Her vehicle was impounded for a mandatory 12-hour hold under John’s Law. Sergeant Gajewski subsequently transported Justine to the Union Beach Police Department for processing.

At police HQ, Justine was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators agreed to submit breath samples. After multiple attempts, her Alcotest results indicated a BAC of 0.332%, which is more than four times the legal limit! After Justine was processed, she was released to a responsible party pending her court appearance after they signed the Potential Liability Warning form on her behalf. Sergeant Gajewski issued her the following summonses: Operating under the influence, reckless driving, careless driving, and leaving the scene of an accident
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