On June 20, 2026 around 11:04 PM, Patrolman Justin Simboli with the Lumberton Township Police Department was dispatched to a report of a motor vehicle accident on Route 38 East in the vicinity of Eayrestown Road. He first made contact with Edward Gleason, who was the driver of a black 2006 Volkswagen Rabbit. Edward told Patrolman Simboli that his vehicle was stopped at a red light at the intersection when he was struck from behind. Patrolman Simboli then made contact with the driver of a blue 2015 Honda CR-V, who was identified as Melanie Rivera. Melanie claimed that she was coming from a graduation party in Vineland, but denied consuming any alcohol earlier that evening. As he was speaking with Melanie, he detected the odor of alcohol and observed other indicators of impairment. Based his suspicion of impairment, Melanie was asked to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises. Melanie’s poor performance on the field sobriety exercises confirmed the officers’ suspicions of impairment. Based on the motor vehicle crash, the odor of alcohol, and her inability to satisfactorily perform the field sobriety exercises, Melanie was placed under arrest for operating under the influence. She was handcuffed and placed inside the patrol car. Her vehicle was impounded by for a mandatory 12-hour hold under John’s Law. Melanie was transported to the Lumberton Township Police Department for further processing. After they arrived at the station, she made some concerning remarks, so she was transported to Virtua Mount Holly Hospital for further evaluation. At the hospital, Patrolman Simboli obtained a warrant for a blood draw, and the blood draw was administered about 2 hours following the crash. After she was cleared by the hospital, Melanie was eventually released pending her court appearance. Even though the blood draw was administered about 2 hours after the crash, the results indicated that Melanie’s BAC level was still as high as 0.219% at the time her blood was drawn. Melanie was issued the following citations: -Operating under the influence (39:4-50) -Careless driving (39:4-97) -Following too closely (39:4-89) -Failure to possess driver insurance card (39:3-29C) Court records indicate that as of October 12, 2026, Melanie’s case is still pending before the Lumberton Township Municipal Court. ------------------------------------------ Please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and consider supporting this channel (email us for more information). Our content is shared for educational and news gathering purposes. We are 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. 2024, c.16). Defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty. The New Jersey Supreme Court has previously affirmed in Salzano v. Central 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. In Ramos v. Flowers, 429 N.J. Super. 13, the Appellate Division of the Superior Court has also affirmed the right to film law enforcement interactions.

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