Drunk Nurse Thinks She is Going to Meet her Date, but Ends the Night With her Ex-Husband Instead

Around 9:30 PM on August 1, 2023, Patrolman Kristopher Burke with the Barnegat Township Police Department observed grey 2019 Honda HR-V speeding 52 MPH in a 35 MPH zone in the area of Route 9 and Hillside Avenue. He eventually activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop, and the driver pulled over on Route 9 in the area of Lower Shore Drive. He then exited his patrol car to make contact with the driver, who was identified as Karen Doyle. As he was speaking with Karen, he detected the odor of alcohol and cannabis. She told Patrolman Burke that she was headed to LBI (Long Beach Island) to meet her date that evening. Based on his suspicion of impairment, Patrolman Burke asked Karen to exit the vehicle and perform field sobriety exercises around the time that Patrolman Michael LoBosco arrived on scene to assist. Her poor performance on the field sobriety exercises confirmed his suspicions of impairment. Based on her erratic driving, the odor of alcohol, her admission to consuming alcohol earlier that evening, and her inability to satisfactorily perform the field sobriety exercises, Karen was placed under arrest for driving under the influence. The vehicle was impounded for a mandatory 12-hour hold under John’s Law. Patrolman Burke transported Karen to the Barnegat Township Police Department for further processing. At the station, the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators was read to Karen, but she refused to submit breath samples. After they finished processing Karen, she was eventually released to her ex-husband pending her court appearance after he signed the Potential Liability Warning form on her behalf. She was issued the following citations for this particular arrest: -Operating under the influence (39:4-50) -Consent to take samples of breath (39:4-50.2) -Reckless driving (39:4-96) -Speeding (39:4-98.19) Court records indicate that on November 9, 2023, Karen was found guilty of operating under the influence and consent to take samples of breath. As a result of her convictions, she had to use an ignition interlock device for 9 months, spend 12 hours at an intoxicated driver resource center, and pay a total of $1,080 in fines. The other 2 citations were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. ---------------------------------------------- Please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and consider supporting this channel (email us for more information). Our content is shared for educational and news gathering purposes. We are in compliance with YouTube's Fair Use Policy because we edit several long clips into a concise story. This is similar to other law enforcement channels on YouTube. Defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty. The New Jersey Supreme Court has previously affirmed in Salzano v. North Jersey Media Group, 993 A.2d 778 (2010) that “The fair-report privilege reflects the judgment that the need, in a self-governing society, for free-flowing information about matters of public interest outweighs concerns over the uncompensated injury to a person's reputation.” This video advances a compelling public interest. The summary of events was based on records that are “open to public view through open access to public records” as defined in the Salzano case. In Ramos v. Flowers, 429 N.J. Super. 13, the Appellate Division of the Superior Court has also affirmed the right to film law enforcement interactions.