Boonton Man Charged with DWI, Drug Possession After Falling Asleep at Wheel in Parsippany Walgreens Parking Lot

BOONTON — A 49-year-old Boonton man faces a DWI charge along with drug possession and paraphernalia charges after Parsippany-Troy Hills police found him asleep behind the wheel of a car that was slowly rolling through the Walgreens parking lot on Baldwin Road earlier this month.

According to a Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department report, Patrolman Christopher Yi and Patrolman Kyratzsis responded to 200-1 Baldwin Road around 4:43 p.m. on June 6 after a report of a man asleep at the wheel of a vehicle that was rolling out of the lot. When officers arrived, they found a black 2002 Volvo S60 with smoke coming from it and the driver, later identified as Laoufi Meghdir, behind the wheel. The vehicle was in drive and moving slowly, and police said Meghdir appeared confused and disoriented.

As Yi approached on foot, the car began moving forward again, the report states. Yi ordered Meghdir to stop, knocked on the window and directed him to shut off the vehicle and step out, which he did. Parsippany fire crews arrived on scene around the same time.

Police said Meghdir could not give a clear account of what had happened. Yi reported observing bloodshot, watery eyes and detecting the odor of alcohol once Meghdir stepped away from the car. When asked if he had been drinking that day, Meghdir told officers he had been drinking the day before and might still be feeling the effects, according to the report. He also told police he did not have a driver’s license and went to the car to retrieve his passport instead.

Yi then conducted a series of standardized field sobriety tests. According to the report, Meghdir showed all six indicators of impairment on the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus eye test, along with vertical gaze nystagmus in both eyes. During the Walk and Turn test, he took several extra steps before turning, stepped off the line and lost his balance, using his arms for balance throughout. On the One Leg Stand test, he was unable to keep his foot raised and put it down five times before the officer ended the test.

Meghdir was placed under arrest for DWI and handcuffed. A search incident to arrest turned up nothing, police said. He was then transported to the Denville Police Department, with Patrolman Scott Baker following to administer an Alcotest, as Parsippany’s unit was out of service. According to Baker’s supplemental report, the test was administered after a 20-minute observation period and two valid breath samples were obtained, returning a result of 0.24 percent blood-alcohol content — three times New Jersey’s legal limit of 0.08 percent.

Meghdir was brought back to Parsippany-Troy Hills police headquarters for processing. After officers contacted the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Assistant Prosecutor Meg Rodriguez recommended the drug-related charges be handled by summons rather than custodial charges. Meghdir was fingerprinted and issued the following summonses:

• Summons #1429-S-2026-000184 — N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10a(1), Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance
• Summons #1429-S-2026-000184 — N.J.S.A. 2C:36-2, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (with intent to use)
• Summons #E26-005674 — N.J.S.A. 39:4-50, Driving While Intoxicated; court date July 14, 2026, 2:30 p.m.
• Summons #E26-005675 — N.J.S.A. 39:4-51B, Open Container of Alcohol/Unsealed Cannabis in a Motor Vehicle; court date July 14, 2026, 2:30 p.m.
• Summons #E26-005676 — N.J.S.A. 39:4-96, Reckless Driving; court date July 14, 2026, 2:30 p.m.
• Summons #E26-005677 — N.J.S.A. 39:3-29A, Failure to Possess a Driver’s License; $181 penalty, payable by June 20, 2026

Meghdir was held at police headquarters until 8:20 p.m., when his wife, Elena, arrived, signed a liability form and took custody of her husband. He was released with his belongings, summonses and court date at 8:25 p.m., according to the report.

The incident report was filed by Patrolman Christopher Yi (Badge #509), with a supplemental report by Patrolman Scott Baker (Badge #486). Both reports were reviewed by Ryan Taylor (Badge #488).

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.