PARK RIDGE POLICE BLOTTER: July 29, 2019

Little Ferry man posts $200 bail after traffic stop

Police summonsed a Little Ferry man, 37, after stopping him for an expired registration in a stop that led to the discovery of an outstanding warrant.

According to the police report, the officer was stopped July 11 at 9:15 p.m. behind a red Chevrolet Silverado bearing NJ registration. A random license plate check returned a hit for the expired registration, and the contact was conducted on Pascack Road a short distance north of Ellis Lane. 

It turned out the driver’s license was suspended over an outstanding traffic warrant of $200 out of Carlstadt Boro.

A second unit arrived and the defendant’s vehicle was impounded. At headquarters, the defendant paid the full $200 cash bail. He was issued the following motor vehicle summonses and warnings: unregistered motor vehicle, driving while license suspended, failure to surrender a suspended license, failure to inspect motor vehicle. 

Additionally, a summons  was issued to the vehicle’s registered owner for allowing a suspended driver to operate. 

All summonses are answerable in Pascack Joint Court on Aug. 14. The defendant was   released just shy of 11 p.m.

Police: Marijuana was a factor in woman’s car crash

A Wynantskill, N.Y. woman  received a variety of summonses after police found her central to a motor vehicle crash July 13 at 3:30 p.m. in front of the Park Ridge Animal Hospital. 

Witness agreed the defendant’s black Honda Accord, traveling east on Park Avenue, struck a parked 2014 Nissan NV3500 van bearing New Jersey registration. The impact caused the Accord to spin around and push the parked van forward approximately five feet. 

Witnesses did not agree on what they thought the defendant had done to cause the accident.

When police arrived, the Honda driver was inside the hospital lobby. Police spoke with her and with bystanders.

Police said the defendant’s car smelled of burnt and raw marijuana. A search turned up a salad bag of a greenish leafy substance believed to be marijuana, three empty blunt wrap packages, and a metal multicolored grinder in the center dashboard cubby, and  rolling papers in the center console.

The defendant complained during questioning that she “didn’t have time for this” and that she was late to reach her destination.

The report says the defendant explained she had fallen asleep “and woke up once the airbags in her car had deployed.”  She said she climbed out of the car and went into the animal hospital. 

During the conversation the defendant’s speech was slow and lethargic. She also complained of pain in her right arm.

At that, police requested that Central Dispatch have an ambulance sent, and then directed the defendant to sit on the sidewalk.

The Tri-Boro Volunteer Ambulance Corps arrived and evaluated the defendant, who  declined treatment and transport to a hospital. She was then turned back over to the police.

Due to the odor of burnt marijuana, the defendant’s slow movements, droopy eyelids, and slurred speech it was determined that police would administer Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, which she passed except for  Lack Of Convergence (LOC) of the eyes. LOC is the inability to cross one’s eyes. 

The defendant told police she had not eaten much the day prior but had eaten a tomato, to which she is allergic.

She added that she had taken Benadryl due to her allergic reaction, had eaten only strawberries in the morning, and was suffering from a lack of sleep. 

The reporting officer said, “Due to my training, education, and experience, I was able to determine that if someone is under the influence of marijuana  a person could pass all the SFSTs and only show signs of impairment during the LOC portion of the testing.”

The defendant was placed under arrest for driving under the influence and the possession of controlled dangerous substance.

At headquarters the defendant provided breath and urine samples for follow-up by a drug recognition expert. Her blood alcohol level was 0.00%.

Handcuffed to the bench, she was issued complaint summons for possession of 50 grams or less of marijuana and possession of  drug paraphernalia. 

The following traffic summonses were issued: driving under the influence, driving under the influence in a school zone, reckless driving, possession of controlled dangerous substances in a motor vehicle, and obstructed windshield. 

All summonses were  answerable to the Pascack Joint Municipal Court on July 17.

‘Pay you back!’ New Yorker speeds off, owing on gas

An officer was dispatched to the Valero Gas Station at 156 Kinderkamack Road for report of a theft. 

According to an employee a Red Ford Focus was getting $20 worth of gas. Pumping complete, the driver yelled from his window that he didn’t have his wallet and that he was going to get it and make good on the money owed. 

Typically employees make customers in this situation leave their driver’s license behind, but the driver left before the employee could ask. 

Staff noted the car’s license plate. The vehicle came back to a resident out of New City, N.Y. Dispatch notified Clarkstown police to have them make contact with the owner of the vehicle.

Management was advised to alert the Park Ridge Police Department if the driver made good on the debt.