PARSIPPANY — A Newfoundland woman was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated on Thursday, June 25 after officers found her asleep behind the wheel of a car stopped near a Wells Fargo bank on Route 46 East.
Donna M. Lenney, 61, was taken into custody at approximately 3:41 p.m. after a third-party caller reported a silver car with a driver who appeared to be in need of help, and two occupants who appeared to be in distress.
Patrolman Jeffrey Williams and Patrolman Caccavale responded and located the vehicle, a silver 2027 Hyundai bearing Virginia plates. Lenney was found sitting in the driver’s seat and appeared to be falling asleep while speaking with officers. Her fiancé, Roger Miller Jr., 67, told police he did not know what was wrong with her and that he should have never let her drive.
Emergency medical personnel responded to the scene and obtained a refusal of medical assistance from Lenney. She told officers she had driven the vehicle to the location. Williams advised her he would be administering standard field sobriety tests, and she stated she had not had anything to drink that day but would comply.
Police noted that Lenney’s eyes were very dark, making it difficult to assess her pupil size. A black light was used and showed constricted pupils consistent with being outside in bright sunlight.
During the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test, Lenney showed zero of six possible clues. She was also administered the walk-and-turn test and the one-leg stand test, the latter performed on a grassy area at her request.
Lenney was placed under arrest on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and transported to the Boonton Police Department to use that department’s Alcotest equipment. Following a twenty-minute observation period during which she did not belch or vomit, she was unable to provide sufficient breath samples.
She was transported back to Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department headquarters, where she was processed and charged with the following offenses:
- Driving while intoxicated (39:4-50)
- Refusal to submit to a breath test (39:4-50.2)
She was released to Miller, who signed a John’s Law form. The vehicle was impounded by Eagle Towing.
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.
