A recent accident at a roadway construction site in North Bergen was allegedly caused by a drunk driver who injured a construction worker at the site and also hurt a pregnant woman in another vehicle. As a New Jersey DWI defense lawyer, my office has represented numerous clients involved in similar accidents over the years. As an experienced attorney and former municipal prosecutor, I know how to defend such cases. In this instance, the driver was charged by police with several offenses including driving while intoxicated.
Reports indicate that while construction workers were changing a signal arrow board outside of the construction area near 91st Street, Angelo Lopez of Belleville, NJ, who was driving north on Tonnelle Avenue, appeared to try and go around a green 1995 Honda, but hit the car instead. According to witnesses, the 35-year-old driver was reportedly weaving in and out of traffic in his 2004 Audi sedan prior to the accident at the construction site.
Lopez allegedly hit the Honda, driven by an 8-month pregnant woman, forcing the woman’s car off the roadway and into one of the construction workers, causing the man to be forced to the ground, police said. The worker was treated for minor injuries to his leg. Both the pregnant woman and the construction worker were taken to Palisades Medical Center.
Fortunately for Mr. Lopez, both the construction worker and the woman were not seriously injured. They each reportedly left the hospital shortly after receiving treatment for their injuries.
Worse for the suspect, police allege that the man attempted to drive away and leave the scene of the accident, but was flagged down by a Bergen police detective and held until he could be arrested and charged by patrol officers. According to new reports, Lopez admitted to drinking prior to that accident, but claimed that he was not drunk.
After taking the suspect to police headquarters, officers determined the man’s blood alcohol content (BAC) to be 0.09 percent, which is over New Jersey’s legal intoxication level of 0.08. In addition to being charged with driving while intoxicated, Lopez was also charged with attempting to flee the scene of an accident as well as being issued a vehicle summons for reckless driving. He was released to a responsible party at Bergen police headquarters.
Accident involves pregnant woman, HudsonReporter.com, August 22, 2009