Sussex County woman charged with DWI after driving wrong way on Route 206 with three flat tires
BYRAM TOWNSHIP, NJ (Sussex County) – A Sussex County woman was charged with DWI after allegedly driving the wrong way on Route 206 with three flat tires in Byram Township.
On Oct. 13, an officer observed a silver Jeep traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of Route 206 near Acorn Street. The officer attempted to conduct a motor vehicle stop, but the vehicle did not stop, police said.
The Jeep continued north in the southbound lanes at a low rate of speed, swerving between both lanes and accelerating erratically. The officer noted that three of the vehicle’s tires were flat and the rims were heavily damaged. As the vehicle slowed to a near stop, patrol units pulled up and verbally ordered the driver, later identified as Sara E. Pesantes, 60, of Hopatcong Borough, to pull over, police said.
Pesantes attempted to accelerate away but was unsuccessful due to the three flat tires limiting her speed. After nearly colliding head-on with another vehicle, she pulled into the parking lot of a Dunkin’ Donuts, police said.
A motor vehicle stop was initiated, and upon making contact with Pesantes, the officer suspected she might be intoxicated. She was asked to perform several standardized field sobriety tests, which she failed. She was arrested and transported to the police station, where she consented to and failed two breath tests, police said.
During the investigation, it was discovered that Pesantes had crashed into and run over the raised concrete median on Route 206 near Route 183, police said.
Pesantes was charged with driving while intoxicated, failure to maintain lane, reckless driving, careless driving, failure to keep right, unsafe motor vehicle, wrong way on a one-way street, failure to yield to emergency vehicles, failure to pull over for emergency vehicles, and unsafe tires. She was released pending a court appearance, police said.
