DOVER — A Wharton man was arrested for driving while intoxicated after Dover police stopped his vehicle early Wednesday morning on Route 46.
According to the Dover Police Department, the incident occurred on Wednesday, January 14, at approximately 12:54 a.m. when Sergeant Mario Tamariz conducted a motor vehicle stop after observing a driver fail to stop at a red traffic signal at the intersection of Route 46 and Pequannock Street.
Patrol Officer Anthony Morin responded to assist and approached the driver’s side of the vehicle. The driver was identified as Victor M. Torres-Martinez, 21, of Wharton. While speaking with the driver, officers reported detecting the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath and observed that his eyes were bloodshot and watery.
Officers asked Torres-Martinez to exit the vehicle and conducted several standardized field sobriety tests. According to the report, Torres-Martinez showed multiple signs of impairment during the tests, including difficulty maintaining balance and stepping off the line during the walk-and-turn test. He also lost balance during the one-leg stand test.
After failing the field sobriety tests, Torres-Martinez was placed under arrest and transported to Dover Police Headquarters for processing. He was later taken to the Randolph Police Department where breath testing was conducted using the Alcotest instrument.
Police reported that Torres-Martinez provided breath samples that resulted in a blood alcohol concentration of 0.178 percent, more than twice the legal limit in New Jersey.
Torres-Martinez was charged with:
- Driving while intoxicated
- Careless driving
- Reckless driving
- Failure to maintain lane
- Failure to obey traffic signals
- Vehicle in unsafe condition
- Improper display of license plates
- Failure to produce insurance
- Failure to produce vehicle registration 2026-00974 (1-14-26)
Following processing, Torres-Martinez was released to a responsible party in accordance with John’s Law, which requires intoxicated drivers to be released only to a sober individual.
The vehicle involved, a 2007 Nissan Versa, was towed from the scene by Bunky’s Heavy Towing & Auto.
Torres-Martinez was issued summonses and is scheduled to appear in Dover Municipal Court at a later date.
Editor’s Note: The court’s rules require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
