Woman Experiences Panic Attack before DWI Arrest in Ventnor, NJ
42.2 هزار بار بازدید -
11 ماه پیش
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Around 11:59 PM on August
Around 11:59 PM on August 23, 2022, Officer Damian Guanchez with the Ventnor City Police Department responded to a call of a verbal argument in the vicinity of Ventnor Avenue and Nashville Avenue. As he was patrolling the area, he initially did not observe any apparent altercations, but he later received additional information that the individuals were sitting inside of a vehicle. He noticed that a 2012 Honda Accord was illegally parked in front of a bus stop and proceeded to make contact with the woman sitting in the driver’s seat. The woman was identified as 30-year-old Sara Fagan. The person in the passenger seat was her sister Kayla Fagan.
As he began to interact with Sara, he detected the odor of alcohol emanating from the vehicle. Sara was asked to exit the vehicle so Officer Guanchez could investigate further. Sara seemed incoherent and she was unable to answer basic questions about what happened. Her sister Kayla confirmed that the vehicle was registered in her name and insisted that Sara was not driving, but the officer observed Sara in the driver’s seat so he did not seem to believe her. Around this time, Sara had an apparent panic attack and first responders with the Ventnor City Fire Department arrived on scene to evaluate her.
After she was cleared by first responders and declined to be transported to the hospital, the officers proceeded with their DWI investigation. Since her sister Kayla had admitted that they had been at a bar and Sara was displaying signs of impairment, the officers offered Sara an opportunity to participate in field sobriety exercises.
Officer Guanchez started with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test, and he noticed a lack of smooth pursuit and distinct and sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation in both eyes. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Sara did not walk heel-to-toe in a straight line and took an incorrect number of steps. The third exercise was the One Leg Stand test, and Sara seemed unable to raise her foot or maintain her balance. For safety reasons, Officer Guanchez terminated the test.
Based on her slurred speech, the odor of alcohol on her person, and her inability to adequately complete the field sobriety exercises, Officer Guanchez placed Sara under arrest for driving under the influence. Her vehicle was impounded for a mandatory 12-hour hold under John’s Law. Officer Guanchez subsequently transported Sara to the Ventnor City Police Department for processing. Since the Alcotest machine in their station was not functioning though, Sara was transported to the neighboring Margate City Police Department instead.
At Margate Police HQ, Sara was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators and initially agreed to submit breath samples. However, she did not cooperate during the administration of the breathalyzer and the 20-minute observation period had to be restarted multiple times. After the fourth attempt, a refusal was logged at Margate Police HQ and Sara was transported back to Ventnor Police HQ.
At Ventnor Police HQ, Sara was read her Miranda rights and declined to answer questions. After the officers finished processing Sara at Ventnor Police HQ, she was released to her sister pending her court appearance after she signed the Potential Liability Warning form on her behalf. Officer Guanchez issued Sara the following summonses: Operating under the influence, refusal to submit to chemical test, and reckless driving
Court records indicate that on January 19, 2023, Sara was found guilty of reckless driving, fined a total of $240, and subjected to a 45-day license revocation. The other 2 citations for operating under the influence and refusal to submit to chemical test were dismissed.
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Please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and consider supporting this channel (email us for more information). Donations will be used to acquire more public footage related to law enforcement activities.
Our content is educational and in compliance with YouTube's Fair Use Policy because we edit several long clips into a concise story. This is similar to other law enforcement channels on YouTube. All videos and case documents were obtained pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. (P.L. 2001, c. 404). Defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty.
The New Jersey Supreme Court has previously affirmed in Salzano v. North Jersey Media Group, 993 A.2d 778 (2010) that “The fair-report privilege reflects the judgment that the need, in a self-governing society, for free-flowing information about matters of public interest outweighs concerns over the uncompensated injury to a person's reputation.” This video advances a compelling public interest. The summary of events was based on records that are “open to public view through open access to public records” as defined in the Salzano case.
As he began to interact with Sara, he detected the odor of alcohol emanating from the vehicle. Sara was asked to exit the vehicle so Officer Guanchez could investigate further. Sara seemed incoherent and she was unable to answer basic questions about what happened. Her sister Kayla confirmed that the vehicle was registered in her name and insisted that Sara was not driving, but the officer observed Sara in the driver’s seat so he did not seem to believe her. Around this time, Sara had an apparent panic attack and first responders with the Ventnor City Fire Department arrived on scene to evaluate her.
After she was cleared by first responders and declined to be transported to the hospital, the officers proceeded with their DWI investigation. Since her sister Kayla had admitted that they had been at a bar and Sara was displaying signs of impairment, the officers offered Sara an opportunity to participate in field sobriety exercises.
Officer Guanchez started with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test, and he noticed a lack of smooth pursuit and distinct and sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation in both eyes. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Sara did not walk heel-to-toe in a straight line and took an incorrect number of steps. The third exercise was the One Leg Stand test, and Sara seemed unable to raise her foot or maintain her balance. For safety reasons, Officer Guanchez terminated the test.
Based on her slurred speech, the odor of alcohol on her person, and her inability to adequately complete the field sobriety exercises, Officer Guanchez placed Sara under arrest for driving under the influence. Her vehicle was impounded for a mandatory 12-hour hold under John’s Law. Officer Guanchez subsequently transported Sara to the Ventnor City Police Department for processing. Since the Alcotest machine in their station was not functioning though, Sara was transported to the neighboring Margate City Police Department instead.
At Margate Police HQ, Sara was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators and initially agreed to submit breath samples. However, she did not cooperate during the administration of the breathalyzer and the 20-minute observation period had to be restarted multiple times. After the fourth attempt, a refusal was logged at Margate Police HQ and Sara was transported back to Ventnor Police HQ.
At Ventnor Police HQ, Sara was read her Miranda rights and declined to answer questions. After the officers finished processing Sara at Ventnor Police HQ, she was released to her sister pending her court appearance after she signed the Potential Liability Warning form on her behalf. Officer Guanchez issued Sara the following summonses: Operating under the influence, refusal to submit to chemical test, and reckless driving
Court records indicate that on January 19, 2023, Sara was found guilty of reckless driving, fined a total of $240, and subjected to a 45-day license revocation. The other 2 citations for operating under the influence and refusal to submit to chemical test were dismissed.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and consider supporting this channel (email us for more information). Donations will be used to acquire more public footage related to law enforcement activities.
Our content is educational and in compliance with YouTube's Fair Use Policy because we edit several long clips into a concise story. This is similar to other law enforcement channels on YouTube. All videos and case documents were obtained pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. (P.L. 2001, c. 404). Defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty.
The New Jersey Supreme Court has previously affirmed in Salzano v. North Jersey Media Group, 993 A.2d 778 (2010) that “The fair-report privilege reflects the judgment that the need, in a self-governing society, for free-flowing information about matters of public interest outweighs concerns over the uncompensated injury to a person's reputation.” This video advances a compelling public interest. The summary of events was based on records that are “open to public view through open access to public records” as defined in the Salzano case.
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