Woman 3 Times Legal Limit Damages Yard, Police Say

A Hopatcong woman whose blood alcohol content was more than three times the legal limit destroyed a resident's lawn with her car, said.

Michele Murray, 43, was arrested for DWI, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to report an accident, driving while her license was suspended, driving an unregistered vehicle, and driving with unsafe tires after the alleged incident, police said.

According to police, a resident reported seeing a pickup truck tear up his neighbor's yard on Chincopee Avenue and then drive toward Hopatchung Road at about 5:45 a.m. on Aug. 29. While responding to the scene, police say they saw Murray getting out of her pickup truck. 

Police said the lawn at the accident scene had tire marks from a bald tire, damage to a paver wall, and a damaged bush. Murray's vehicle had fresh grass on the wheel wells, bald tires, and pieces of bush on the rear bumper, according to police. 

Police said they arrested Murray after she failed the field sobriety test, and that an Alcotest determined she was more than three times the legal limit to drive.

Murray was later charged and released to a family member, police said.