A Lakewood Assistant Fire Chief is credited with apprehending an intoxicated wrong-way driver on the 195.

At approximately 6:50 pm yesterday, Howell police dispatch center received a 911 call reporting a vehicle traveling West in the East bound lanes of
Interstate 195 in the area of Wall Twp.

The vehicle was reported to be entering the area of Howell Twp from the Wall Twp border. Lt Joseph Markulic was able to enter I195 at Rt 9 and proceeded east. He was able to perform a tactical block of the traffic on I195 to keep them at a safe distance from the potential oncoming vehicle.

CPl Scott Brooks and Ptl Sean Macdonald responded to assist with stopping traffic. Lt Markulic proceeded East where he observed the suspect vehicle approaching him headed West in the East bound lanes. He attempted to stop the vehicle, however, the driver completed an evasive maneuver and continued West in the East lanes. Lt Markulic turned around and attempted to stop the vehicle before it approached the stopped traffic.

The suspect vehicle yielded to the emergency vehicles momentarily and upon approach to the vehicle, the suspect vehicle took off again. The vehicle finally stopped approximately 100 yards further down the East bound lanes from the original point of contact with Lt Markulic.

The stopped vehicle was “boxed in “with the assistance of a Lakewood Assistant Fire Chief Jason Wallace who was in his marked Chief’s vehicle with activated emergency lights.

The driver was not compliant with officer commands to exit the vehicle and had to be physically removed from the vehicle.

The driver was identified as Kara Miklas a 25 year old woman from Sewall, NJ. She was operating a 2007 Toyota Yaris.

Ms Miklas was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated, eluding and several motor vehicle violations and released pending a court appearance.

Wall Twp Police and the NJSP assisted with the investigation of this incident.