Last October, Sgt. First Class Michael Roadside rear ended a white Audi at the Monmouth Service Area on the Garden State Parkway, resulting in charges of drunk driving, careless driving, and possessing an open container of alcohol.
On the scene, he is alleged to have offered the driver of the Audi $1,000 if she wouldn’t report the incident.
His uniform shirt was on inside out, and when the driver asked him if he was a police officer, he pulled his shirt to the side to show her his service weapon and a loaded magazine and a beer bottle cap fell out.
When the driver ultimately called 911, she told the operator that she was scared and that Roadside was acting erratically.
Roadside told police that he was not drunk when they arrived on scene, blaming his condition on a recent surgery instead.
When he did consent to testing, his blood alcohol level was recorded at twice the legal limit.
Roadside was suspended without pay pending an investigation, and entered an in-patient treatment facility for alcohol addiction the day of the crash.
As part of his guilty plea, Roadside was ordered to pay $386 in fines, attend 12 hours at an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center, and surrender his driver’s license for seven months.
Whether he is able to resume work as a State Trooper remains to be seen, and he may be facing a civil case from the driver he rear ended.
Drunk driving charges can significantly impair your life, and in some cases, can even end your career.
Matthew Reisig has helped more than 1,040 New Jersey drivers avoid conviction on DUI charges, and has argued DUI law before the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
When you’ve been charged with DUI, call 732-625-9660 and talk to an experienced New Jersey DUI defense attorney for free.
