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Of All Places For A DWI Crash: South Hackensack Police Nab Driver Outside HQ

South Hackensack police didn’t have far to bring a suspected drunk driver following a mid-afternoon rollover crash.

Linus P. Rodrigues

Linus P. Rodrigues

Photo Credit: SHPD

Surveillance cameras outside their headquarters captured video of Linus P. Rodrigues, 48, of the Bronx swinging a 2009 Toyota RAV 4 onto Franklin Street at 2:15 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24, Detective Sgt. James Donatello said.

The Toyota hit a parked 1998 Buick Century, then rolled onto its side and slid about 20 feet, the sergeant said.

South Hackensack firefighters extricated Rodrigues and turned him over to the Little Ferry First Aid Corps, Donatello said.

Rodrigues – who had no license or insurance -- was in the middle of refusing medical treatment when an EMT reported smelling alcohol and burnt marijuana to police, the sergeant said.

So they walked Rodrigues across the street to headquarters, where he failed several field sobriety tests administered by Officer Joseph Applegate, Donatello said.

Officer Steven Oliver also conducted a horizontal gaze test, which the sergeant said Rodrigues also failed.

Police charged Rodrigues with DWI, refusing to provide breath samples, reckless driving, careless driving, not having proof of a license or insurance and having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle.

His SUV was impounded and he was released to a responsible adult, pending court action, under John’s Law.

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