You’ll find no argument from most people that driving while intoxicated can be hazardous to one’s health. The law enforcement community and New Jersey’s court system has little if any tolerance for individuals who are caught operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs (drug DUI). In cases where an accident was the alleged result of drinking and driving you can bet that a judge will be highly critical of the defendant’s actions leading up to the crash.
While injuring another party in a DWI-related traffic accident is bound to raise eyebrows amongst state and local police, as well as the judiciary, putting oneself in jeopardy is likely just as serious. Although some might argue that a self-inflicted injury due to a single-vehicle accident could generate sympathy from the court, there is no guarantee of leniency in cases involving a drunken driving crash.
As a New Jersey DWI defense lawyer, I and my staff are ready to represent individuals accused of driving under the influence all across the Garden State; from Bergen to Union County and from Monmouth to Atlantic County. Whether a driver is stopped for drunk driving, prescription drug DUI, or marijuana possession in a vehicle, our staff has the experience to handle a wide range of cases.
A rare but not terribly unusual drunken driving arrest occurred a while back when a driver reportedly piloted his vehicle straight into the Passaic River in Wallington, NJ. According to news articles, a 24-year-old Newark resident was observed allegedly ignoring a stop sign at the intersection of Midland and Main Ave. just before 4am on a Saturday morning.
Police officers apparently happened to be nearby to see the man’s car subsequently veer off the roadway and into the river. Patrolmen reportedly saw the car go into the water and yelled to the driver as he tried to extricate himself from the sinking motor vehicle. According to reports, the officers did not have to go in after the man, who swam up to the river bank and was then pulled up the steep embankment by police.
Following the incident, officers arrested the unidentified driver and charged him with driving under the influence of alcohol. According to news reports, local firefighters and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department, as well as East Rutherford emergency medical teams, searched the crash site but determined that there were no other occupants in the vehicle during the accident.
Man drives car into Passaic River in Wallington, charged with DWI, NorthJersey.com, November 20, 2010