PARSIPPANY — On Monday, July 15, at approximately 3:15 p.m., officers from the Parsippany Police Department, including Officer Nicholas Santangelo, Sergeant Conklin, Sergeant McGinnis, Patrolman DeMuro, and Patrolman Krol, responded to a reported motor vehicle accident at the intersection of Route 46 West and Troy Hills Village Road. The incident involved an overturned 2002 Toyota Camry that had come to rest on its driver’s side on the property of Advanced Auto Parts.
The vehicle’s driver was Scott M. Sibbald, 47, Upper Saddle River.
A witness driving behind a box truck following Scott’s vehicle on Route 46 West near Baldwin Road provided crucial information. The witness described how Scott’s vehicle suddenly swerved off the road, traveled through a parking lot, crashed into a small tree, struck a guide wire, and overturned. The witness noted that the vehicle was traveling at a low speed, which led to suspect that Scott might have been experiencing a medical episode.
When Scott was questioned further by Sergeant Conklin, he confirmed that he was on his way home from work at the time of the crash. Scott denied being under the influence of any drugs or alcohol, explaining that he was a regular attendee of Alcoholics Anonymous and had not consumed alcohol in over a year. However, he did admit to having smoked marijuana the night before the incident, around 10:00 p.m.
At this point, the officers did not detect any odor of alcohol on Scott’s breath. However, Scott appeared to be perspiring, and his face flushed, raising further concerns. Patrolman DeMuro then proceeded to administer Standardized Field Sobriety Tests.
While on the scene, Eagle Towing arrived and uprighted the vehicle. During the investigation, Sergeant Conklin noticed a Blow-off duster can near the driver’s seat in plain view. This product is commonly known to law enforcement as an inhalant. When questioned, Scott initially claimed he used the can to clean HVAC units at work. However, after further questioning by Sergeant Conklin, Scott admitted to inhaling the contents of the can before operating his vehicle.
Given Scott’s admission and the totality of the circumstances, he was placed under arrest on suspicion of Driving Under the Influence (DUI). A search of Scott’s vehicle revealed 13 cans of Blow Off Duster in the rear seat area. The cans were in varying states of use, with some empty, partially empty, and others still full. Sergeant Conklin also found two receipts for the purchase of the Dust Off cans, dated the same day as the crash, suggesting that Scott may have been under the influence of inhalants at the time of the incident.
Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Officer Scott Baker was notified to administer an Alcotest and possibly a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) evaluation. Officer Baker responded to Police Headquarters and proceeded to administer the Alcotest. Sibbald read his DWI Standard Statements and initiated 20 minutes of direct observation.
After the 20-minute observation period, Officer Baker administered the Alcotest. To ensure the accuracy of the test, all electronic devices were removed from Officer Baker’s person and from the Alcotest room. However, after the subject provided one breath sample, the machine aborted the test due to chemical interference. This result is consistent with a chemical inhalant in the subject’s system.
Following the aborted Alcotest, Officer Baker attempted to conduct a further DRE evaluation to assess the subject’s impairment, but Sibbald refused to participate.
The cans were seized as evidence, and the vehicle was towed from the scene for impound.
Parsippany Police Officer Nicholas Santangelo issued Scott Sibbald the following summons:
• 39:4-50 – Operating A Vehicle Under The Influence of Alcohol or Drugs
• 39:4-96 – Reckless Driving
• 39:4-88B – Traffic On Marked Lanes – Unsafe Lane Change
• 39:3-29C – Failure To Possess Insurance Card
• 39:4-49.1 – Operation of Motor Vehicle While in Possession Of Narcotic
A court date of September 17 was assigned for Mr. Sibbald to answer the charges.
Editors Note: The court’s rules require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
