Drunk Woman Eludes Police Before DWI Arrest in Westfield, NJ

Around 11:37 PM on August 1, 2024, Patrolman Timothy Donovan with the Westfield Police Department was on patrol in the vicinity of East South Avenue and Central Avenue when he observed a white 2016 BMW 2-door running a red light while going southbound on Central Avenue. The driver continued onto Ross Place and he activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop on Ross Place near the intersection with Carleton Road, but the driver failed to pull over initially. Patrolman Dononvan exited his patrol car and advised her to not move the vehicle when it was stopped in front of a residential address, but she disregarded his command and pulled into the driveway. After she stopped behind the residence, Patrolman Donovan made contact with the driver and ordered her to turn off the car and hand him her documents.
Shortly afterwards, Sergeant Gill and Patrolmen Jordan Barham, Christopher Marlow, and Donald Picciano responded to the scene to assist. The driver, later identified as Klara, was unable to provide all her documents and Patrolman Donovan detected the odor of alcohol. Base on his suspicion of impairment, Klara was ordered to exit the vehicle and given an opportunity to perform field sobriety exercises. Before the field sobriety exercises were administered, Klara admitted to consuming alcohol before operating a motor vehicle.
Patrolman Picciano started with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. During the HGN test, he 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, and it was administered by Patrolman Barham. During the Walk and Turn test, Klara failed to touch heel-to-toe on each step and forgot to turn after taking 9 steps. The final exercise was the One Leg Stand test, and Klara failed to raise her foot in the proper position, did not count aloud in the correct sequence, and displayed a lack of balance.
Based on her traffic infraction, her refusal to follow the officers’ instructions, her admission to consuming alcohol, and her inability to adequately perform the field sobriety exercises, Klara was placed under arrest for driving under the influence. Patrolman Donovan transported Klara to the Westfield Police Department for further processing. Her vehicle was impounded for a 12-hour hold according to John’s Law.
At the station, Sergeant Richard Gill advised her of her Miranda rights and read her the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators. She agreed to submit samples of her breath for testing, but she failed to submit adequate breath samples despite multiple attempts and was ultimately charged with refusal. After they were finished processing Klara, she was released to her friend pending her court appearance in the Westfield Municipal Court after he signed the Potential Liability Warning on Klara’s behalf. She was issued the following traffic citations: Operating under the influence, failure to observe traffic control device, failure to possess driver insurance card, failure to obey direction of officer, no front license plate, failure to activate interior light upon officer’s request, careless driving, reckless driving, failure to pull over for emergency vehicle, refusal to provide samples of breath, and refusal to submit to chemical test.

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