Police were called to the scene of a two-car accident in New Jersey earlier this month which they suspect was caused by an intoxicated driver. The Jan. 14 accident resulted in the arrest of a 22-year-old male Morristown resident and several charges related to drunk driving prior to the crash.

According to the accident reports, the crash occurred on Ridgedale Avenue sometime shortly before 2:45 in the early morning hours, when police arrived on the scene. Police found a Nissan sedan with rear-end damage pushed up onto the grass median and a Mini Cooper with front-end damage resting behind the Nissan.

Police quickly concluded from the circumstances that the Mini Cooper had rear-ended the Nissan. They approached both vehicles to determine if anyone had been injured in the crash. When an officer spoke to the driver of the Mini Cooper, the officer said that he could smell alcohol. He questioned the driver who said that he "had some beers."

The officer took the driver into custody and gave him a breathalyzer test at the Morristown Police Department. He noted in his report that the blood alcohol content reading registered at .21 percent. Because the incident involved an accident, the driver was charged with assault by an automobile and reckless driving in addition to the DWI charge.

When you know or believe that you are suspected of drunk driving, you do not have to answer any questions from police without an attorney present. Even when a breathalyzer test registers your BAC over the legal limit, it is important to remember that those tests can be unreliable or altered by human error.

Source: Morristown Patch, "Police: Drunk Driver Destroyed Two Cars," John Dunphy, Jan. 30, 2012