Around 2:42 AM on February 25, 2025, Officer Ahmed Elnakib with the Clifton Police Department was dispatched to a motor vehicle crash with injuries in the vicinity of Route 46 West and Route 21 South. They were advised by dispatch that a wrong-way vehicle on Route 46 West struck another vehicle. Lieutenant Anderson and Officers Fisher and Rojas also arrived on scene. Officer Rojas first made contact with the victim of the accident, and he claimed that his leg was injured. It was apparent that his 2007 Honda Accord had been struck by the 2016 Honda CR-V that was headed the wrong-way. The victim was later transported to the hospital for further evaluation. Officer Elnakib made contact with the State Police after arriving on scene. The State Police were the first ones on scene because they had been working on another assignment nearby. He then made contact with the driver of the Honda CR-V, who was identified as Paola Velez. As he was speaking with Paola, he detected the odor of alcohol and observed other indicators of impairment. Paola admitted to consuming alcohol at a bar in Clifton earlier that evening. First responders arrived on scene to evaluate Paola, but she declined further medical attention. After she declined medical attention, Officer Elnakib asked Paola to perform field sobriety exercises. The first exercise was the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Paola failed to touch heel-to-toe on each step and displayed a lack of balance. The second exercise was the One Leg Stand test. During the One Leg Stand test, Paola failed to raise her foot in the proper fashion and put her foot down before the test was complete. The final exercises involved counting forwards and backwards, and Paola was unable to do so satisfactorily. Based on the motor vehicle crash, her admission to consuming alcohol, and her inability to satisfactorily complete the field sobriety exercises, Officer Elnakib placed Paola under arrest for driving under the influence. She was searched by Officer Rojas and placed in the patrol car. Her vehicle was towed by Anthony’s Towing for a mandatory 12-hour hold under John’s Law. Officer Rojas transported Paola to the Clifton Police Department for further processing. At police headquarters, Paola was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators, and initially agreed to submit breath samples. However, she did not cooperate during the administration of the Alcotest and she was ultimately charged with a refusal. After the officers were finished processing her, Paola was released to a sober adult pending her court appearance after he signed the Potential Liability Warning form on Paola’s behalf. Paola was issued the following citations: Operating under the influence, refusal to submit to chemical test, reckless driving, careless driving, failure to exhibit documents, wrong way on one-way street, and traffic on marked lanes ---------------------------------------------- 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. All videos and case documents were obtained pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. (P.L. 2024, c.16). 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.

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