On December 20, 2023 around 11:00 PM, Officers Bryan Sousa and Randy St. Louis with the Township of Union Police Department observed an eastbound 2002 Toyota Camry abruptly stop in the middle of the road on Morris Avenue near Caldwell Avenue. A 2024 Subaru Outback was stopped behind the Camry. It appeared that the vehicle may have become disabled, so they initiated contact with the driver of the Camry, who was identified as 19-year-old Breanna Cherkis. The driver of the Subaru informed Officer Sousa that she was initially stopped behind Breanna’s car at a red light as they approached the intersection of Morris Avenue and Caldwell Avenue. Since the driver of the Camry may have fallen asleep behind the wheel and failed to move when the light turned green, she attempted to go around her vehicle on the left side. At this time, the driver of the Camry also made an abrupt left turn which led to a collision. Breanna did not seem to recall exactly what happened, but the officers suspected that she may be impaired by alcohol or something else. Based on their suspicions, they administered field sobriety exercises. Officer Teon Freeman first administered the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN), Lack of Convergence, and Modified Rhomberg Balance tests. Officer Sousa then administered the Walk and Turn and One Leg Stand tests. Breanna was unable to complete these exercises in a satisfactory manner. Based on the motor vehicle crash, her indicators of impairment, and her inability to satisfactorily perform the field sobriety exercises, Breanna was placed under arrest for operating under the influence. Her vehicle was impounded by for a mandatory 12-hour hold under John’s Law. Breanna was transported to the Township of Union Police Department for further processing. Officer St. Louis read her the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators, and she agreed to submit breath samples. Her Alcotest results indicated a BAC level of 0.00%. However, the officers still suspected that Breanna may be impaired so she was asked to submit to a urine test and she agreed to do so. Once they finished processing her, Breanna was eventually released to her mother pending her court appearance after she signed the Potential Liability Warning form on Breanna’s behalf. Breanna was issued the following citations: -Operating under the influence (39:4-50) -Careless driving (39:4-97) -Traffic on marked lanes – unsafe lane change (39:4-88b) -Delaying traffic (39:4-56) -Failure to wear seat belt (39:3-76.2f) The results of Breanna’s urine test later confirmed the presence of Fluoxetine, Methorphan, and THC-COOH (a marijuana metabolite). Court records indicate that on March 11, 2025, the citation for operating under the influence was dismissed. However, Breanna did plead guilty to careless driving, traffic on marked lanes – unsafe lane change, failure to wear seat belt, and delaying traffic. As a result of her guilty pleas, Breanna’s license was revoked for 30 days and she had to pay a total of $585 in fines. ------------------------------------------ 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. 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. 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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