Around 11:24 PM on November 20, 2022, Officer Matthew Gorham with the Ventnor City Police Department responded to a call of a motor vehicle crash in the vicinity of Monmouth Avenue and Melbourne Avenue. He noticed that a 2016 Audi Q5 had struck a 2014 Subaru Forester and 2009 Honda Accord on Monmouth Avenue. The driver of the Audi Q5, identified as Maria, told him that she was coming from her best friend’s wedding in Brigantine. Shortly afterwards, Officer Ryan Szaniszlo arrived on scene and began his investigation. Officer Szaniszlo noticed that there was airbag deployment in her vehicle, and he asked her if she was injured. Maria said she was not injured and denied consuming alcohol before operating a motor vehicle. Lieutenant O’Neill told Officer Szaniszlo that he found a champagne glass with fresh liquid that was in plain view inside the vehicle, and that he also detected the odor of alcohol. Based on his suspicion of impairment, Officer Szaniszlo asked Maria to perform field sobriety exercises. Officer Szaniszlo started with the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test, and observed 0 out of 6 possible hits. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Maria did not touch heel-to-toe on each step and took an incorrect number of steps. The final exercise was the One Leg Stand test, Maria was unable to raise her foot and using her arms for balance. Based on the traffic accident, the odor of alcohol in the vehicle, and her inability to adequately complete the field sobriety exercises, Officer Szaniszlo placed Maria under arrest for driving under the influence. Based on the motor vehicle accident, Maria was informed that she would be transported to the hospital for a blood draw. Officer Luisi accompanied her during the ambulance ride. Officer Szaniszlo returned to the station and advised the Assistant Prosecutor of the incident. Judge Fauntleroy telephonically approved a warrant for a blood draw, and he proceeded to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center with a blood draw kit to execute the warrant. A nurse administered the blood draw, and the results would later reveal a BAC level of 0.129%. After the blood draw, Officer Luisi had a family member sign the Potential Liability Form on behalf of Maria, and she was released to them pending her court appearance. Officer Szaniszlo issued Maria the following summonses: Operating under the influence, reckless driving, and driving or parking unregistered motor vehicle --------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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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