A New York man was arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI) after allegedly asking a Madison NJ police officer for directions.

The 55-year-old suspect reportedly pulled his car into the parking lot of Gary’s Wine & Marketplace, a liquor store on Main Street in Madison, NJ. The suspect reportedly asked an off-duty police officer to approach his vehicle; the suspect then asked the officer for directions.

The police officer allegedly noticed an open container of alcohol inside the vehicle. The officer later said that he immediately spotted the alcohol in the car’s cup holder tray.

The off-duty cop also said that the suspect appeared to be intoxicated. A second police officer later arrived at the scene and confirmed this observation.

The suspect was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI), as well as possession of an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Additionally, the suspect could be subject to enhanced penalties because he was allegedly within 1,000 feet of a school zone at the time of the offense.

If the suspect is eventually convicted of first offense DWI, he could potentially be sentenced to as many as 30 days in the local county jail. Moreover, the suspect might lose his driver’s license for 3 months.

The suspect was released from custody sometime after his arrest. He will be required to answer the charges in Madison Municipal Court at a later date.

To learn more about this case, check out the NJ.com article entitled “Drunk Driver Asked Off-Duty Cop for Directions, Madison Police Say.”