An officer's suspicion of impaired driving leads to a critical roadside decision for an underage motorist, captured vividly on body camera. In the early morning hours, an officer initiated a traffic stop after observing a vehicle driving erratically, including crossing the center line, exceeding the speed limit, and nearly rear-ending another vehicle. During the initial interaction, the officer detected a strong odor of alcohol emanating from the vehicle and noted the 20-year-old female driver appeared incoherent and struggled to locate her registration and insurance documents. Despite initially denying any alcohol consumption, the driver subsequently admitted to having a Budlight Seltzer approximately two hours prior to the stop. Based on these observations, coupled with her underage status, the officer formally requested that she perform a series of voluntary field sobriety exercises to accurately assess her level of impairment and fitness to drive. The driver consented to participate in the evaluations. During the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test, the officer observed distinct signs of involuntary eye jerking in both eyes. The Walk and Turn test revealed further difficulties, as the driver failed to turn properly and walked backward for the second set of steps. In the final One Leg Stand test, she struggled with balance and proper execution, failing to raise her leg correctly and miscounting the duration. Following these exercises, a preliminary breath test indicated a blood alcohol content of 0.125%, significantly above the legal limit for an underage motorist. Consequently, she was placed under arrest for driving under the influence and transported to the county jail. After waiving her constitutional rights, she admitted to driving while impaired, and a subsequent breathalyzer test at the facility registered a BAC of 0.111%. She was later released on bail and ultimately pleaded guilty to an amended charge of negligent driving in the first degree, receiving a sentence that included probation and fines. This incident underscores the serious consequences of impaired driving, especially for young adults. --- Transparency through the lens of the law. Subscribe for more real bodycam breakdowns and on-the-street encounters. New perspectives, new incidents, every day. --- #BodycamFootage #TrafficStop #LawEnforcement #DUIArrest #FieldSobrietyTests #UnderageDrinking #PoliceProcedure #PublicSafety #RoadsideEncounter #ImpairedDriving #Accountability #LegalConsequences #NegligentDriving

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