A traffic accident has led to serious criminal charges for a Morristown woman. After colliding with a New Jersey State Police patrol car that was parked on an area roadway, she was arrested under suspicion of DWI and also charged with assault by auto. The matter remains under investigation, but the preliminary information suggests that an existing traffic accident may have been a factor in the second crash.
In the early morning hours of a recent Saturday, New Jersey State Troopers were called to Route 287 to assist in clearing the roadway from an earlier accident. One of the troopers was in his patrol car, which was positioned within the roadway in an effort to alert drivers of the accident site and avoid traffic back-ups at the scene. The trooper claims to have observed a late model Jeep Wrangler approaching his position at a fast rate of speed. Instead of trying to move his car or escape from the vehicle, he choose to brace for impact.
The Jeep struck the rear of the patrol car, which led to back, elbow and shoulder injuries to the trooper. Two other troopers were able to avoid the crash by jumping over the highway's center barrier. There is no word on whether the 29-year-old woman who was driving the Jeep was injured in the accident.
The New Jersey woman was arrested under suspicion of DWI, but it is unclear whether she submitted to any form of sobriety testing or breath analysis while at the accident site. Because the accident led to injuries, she has also been charged with three counts of assault by auto. As her case moves forward, she will have the chance to present her side of the events that led to the accident. The late hour, the presence of stopped and disabled vehicles within the roadway and the lighting conditions at the existing accident scene may all play a role in her criminal defense strategy.
Source: dailyrecord.com, "Police: Alleged drunk driver injures Hanover cop", William Westhoven, June 15, 2015