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Around 5:45 PM on August 4, 2024, Patrolman Hadyn Matarazzo with the Manalapan Township Police Department responded to a report of a motor vehicle accident in the area of 89 Millhurst Road. He arrived on scene and made contact with the driver of a white 2024 Mitsubishi Outlander, who was identified as Valeria Pradyvus. Her 6-year-old daughter was seated in the back of the vehicle. Her daughter initially complained of shoulder pain, so first aid was called to the scene to evaluate her.

Valeria told the officers that she had just picked up her daughter from a tutoring place, and that she was headed to pick up her son at a daycare facility. While the driver claimed that she was swerving to avoid a pothole on the road, it was later determined that she had likely struck a rock in front of someone’s driveway and then sustained front-end damages to her vehicle. Patrolman Christopher Capuzzo arrived on scene shortly afterwards, and he noticed that the driver was having trouble locating her documents. After the officers detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage on her person, they asked Valeria to perform field sobriety exercises.

The first exercise was the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test. During the HGN test, Patrolman Capuzzo observed the lack of smooth, distinct and sustained nystagmus at maximum deviation, and the onset of nystagmus prior to 45 degrees. He also observed vertical nystagmus. The second exercise was the Walk and Turn test, and it was administered by Patrolman Matarazzo. During the Walk and Turn test, Valeria did not touch heel-to-toe on each step and turned improperly. The final exercise was the One Leg Stand test. Despite multiple attempts, Valeria failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion and kept putting her foot down before the test was complete.

Based on the motor vehicle crash, the odor of alcohol, and her inability to satisfactorily complete the field sobriety exercises, Patrolman Matarazzo placed Valeria under arrest for driving under the influence. A search of her vehicle indicated the presence of an open container of an alcoholic beverage. Her vehicle was impounded for a 12-hour hold according to John’s Law. Patrolman Matarazzo transported Valeria to the Manalapan Township Police Department for further processing. Patrolman Capuzzo transported her daughter to wait until her mother was released after they signed the Potential Liability Warning form on Valeria’s behalf.

At the station, Valeria was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators, and she agreed submit breath samples. Her Alcotest results indicated a BAC level of 0.37%, which was more than 4 times the legal limit of 0.08%. After she was photographed and fingerprinted, Valeria was eventually released to a sober adult pending her court appearance.

Valeria was issued the following traffic citations: 
-Operating under the influence (39:4-50)
-DWI within 1,000 feet of school property (39:4-50(G)(1))
-Reckless driving (39:4-96)
-Careless driving (39:4-97)
-Traffic on marked lanes (39:4-88)
-Obstructing passage of other vehicles (39:4-67)
-Open container (39:4-51B)

She was also criminally charged with endangering a child (2C:24-4A(2)).

Court records indicate that on August 26, 2025, Valeria pleaded guilty to operating under the influence. As a result of her guilty plea, Valeria had to use an ignition interlock device for 3 months, spend 12 months at an intoxicated driver resource center, and pay a total of $790 in fines. The other 5 citations were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. 
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