PARSIPPANY — A Lake Hiawatha man was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated on June 24th after telling police he swerved to avoid hitting a squirrel and crashed into a street sign instead.
Eleodoro Loayza Hidalgo, 45, was taken into custody following the crash, which occurred at approximately 6:08 p.m. at the intersection of Crescent Drive and Claudine Terrace.
According to police, Loayza Hidalgo was traveling northbound on Crescent Drive when a squirrel ran into his path. Rather than strike the animal, he told officers, he crashed into a stationary street sign, dislodging it from its underground foundation and bending it at the base.
Patrolman Jaime Mendez responded to the scene and began a driving while intoxicated investigation. During field sobriety testing, Loayza Hidalgo reported an injury that limited his mobility. He was unable to complete the walk-and-turn test as instructed, taking eight steps instead of the required nine in each direction, and was able to hold one foot off the ground for only nineteen seconds during the one-leg stand test.
He was placed under arrest and transported to the Boonton Police Department, where Patrolman Paul Christal administered a breath test using that department’s Alcotest equipment. Following a twenty-minute observation period, Loayza Hidalgo provided two breath samples, which registered a blood alcohol concentration of 0.009 percent, within the state’s tolerance range for equipment accuracy.
Loayza Hidalgo was subsequently transported to Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department headquarters, where he was processed and released to his wife and cousin under a signed John’s Law form.
He was cited with the following offenses:
- Driving while intoxicated (39:4-50)
- Careless driving (39:4-97)
- Failure to maintain a lane (39:4-88)
He is scheduled to appear in Parsippany-Troy Hills Municipal Court. He was also instructed to return to police headquarters to obtain a tow release form for his vehicle, a silver 2021 Honda Civic, which was towed from the scene.
Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
