Montclair Woman Crashes Into Fairfield Cop Car: DWI Arrest

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Fairfield police arrested a Montclair woman and charged her with DWI after she allegedly rammed into the back of a patrol car last weekend, authorities say.

According to the Fairfield Police Department, the crash took place around 2:51 a.m. on Saturday when an officer patrolling Route 46 West slowed down to stop for a red light at the intersection of Plymouth Street, and Desiree Christian, 24, of Montclair, struck his car from behind with her 2016 Ford.

Police said that the collision pushed the officer’s car “a decent distance” and caused “substantial damage” to the Ford.

When the officer approached the car, he found Christian in the driver’s seat. He checked her condition and she reportedly told him that she was uninjured and didn’t need medical treatment, authorities said.

The officer noted that Christian allegedly “appeared confused about where she was coming from and where she was going to,” and that though she seemed aware she was in an accident, she didn’t realize a police car was involved, authorities stated.

Christian later admitted to the officer that she consumed alcoholic beverages before the crash, police said.

“Because the weather was extremely cold and windy, Christian was transported to police headquarters so that field sobriety testing could be conducted in a better environment,” Fairfield police stated.

Christian was allegedly unable to perform any of the tests successfully. A breath test allegedly showed that her blood alcohol concentration percentage was over twice the state’s legal limit.

Though the officer experienced stiffness in his back, he refused further medical treatment, police said.

Authorities charged Christian with DWI and careless driving. She was released on her own recognizance pending an initial appearance in the Fairfield Municipal Court on Jan. 19.

Photo: Shutterstock