Death by Auto

January 20, 2011

New Jersey Drunk Driving News: Melrose Place Actress Indicted on DWI, Aggravated Manslaughter Charges

Amy Locane, know for her role on the original “Melrose Place” television show, has reportedly been indicted on charges that she was drunk when the car she allegedly was driving crashed into another vehicle, killing one person and severely injuring a second. According to news articles, the accident took place in Princeton, New Jersey on June 27 last year.

Injuring, not to mention killing, someone as a result of a traffic accident can lead to serious consequences. Couple that with charges of drinking and driving and one can have a considerable legal problem on his or her hands. As a New Jersey DWI defense attorney, I hear about many drunken driving-related fatalities all across the Garden State, including Bergen, Ocean, Passaic and Essex County.

In this particular instance, 39-year-old Amy Locane-Bovenizer (the Trenton-born actress’s married name) is charged with the DWI-related traffic death of 60-year-old Helene Seeman and the injury of the woman’s husband, who was in critical condition at the time of news articles.

January 17, 2011

Suspect in Fatal Drunken Driving Crash that Killed Patrolman Released on $250,000 Bond

by Jonathan F. Marshall

As a New Jersey drunk driving defense attorney, I know that injuring or killing another person as a result of a drunken driving accident is a serious situation; one that usually requires the services of a qualified legal representative, such as a DWI and drug DUI lawyer. When the case involves the injury or death of a law enforcement officer, there really is no question about retaining the services of a lawyer well versed in drunk driving law.

No matter where in the state a DWI accident occurs, be it Ocean, Middlesex, Somerset or Morris County, NJ, courts are quite strict in fatal DWI and drug DUI crashes. One such case is now in the making down in Toms River, New Jersey. According to news reports, an individual was arrested in connection with the death of an Ocean Gate patrolman on Thanksgiving morning.

Based on news articles, 31-year-old Erick Uzcategui of Manchester, New Jersey, was arrested and charged with vehicular homicide and drunk driving following the November 25 car crash that reportedly killed Officer Jason C. Marles. Police reports showed that the accident happened around 3am as Marles was on his way home from his shift.

December 19, 2010

New Jersey Driver Gets 12 Years for Fatal Drunk Driving Accident

by Jonathan F. Marshall

A New Jersey woman was recently convicted for the 2007 DWI-related death of a South Brunswick college student. According to reports, 35-year-old Kimberly Green was sentenced in a Middlesex County courtroom to 12 years in prison for her part in the fatal drunken driving accident. Based on reports, the defendant received an eight-year sentence for the death of Kylie Pinheiro, plus another four years for the injuring of the victim’s cousin, Heather Pinheiro.

The court also sentenced Green to an additional four-year term for injuring another cousin of the victim, Melissa Pinheiro. That sentence is set to run concurrent with the other two. According to court records, Green will have to serve more than seven years before she can even hope to be eligible for parole.

As a New Jersey drunk driving defense attorney, I can say that adding a injury or fatal accident to a drunken driving arrest is very serious indeed. Drunk driving cases such as the one reported on here can land a driver in jail for many years, much less result in other penalties that can impact one’s future livelihood.

October 31, 2010

NJ Drunk Driving News: Sobriety Testing May Become Mandatory in Cases of Serious, Fatal Auto Accidents

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Any one who has ever been arrested for DWI or charged with drunk driving here in New Jersey would likely agree that law enforcement and the judicial system have a very low tolerance for DWI offenders. With intensive drunken driving campaigns, roadside sobriety checkpoints and enhanced DWI and DUI patrols on public roads, the pressure is on to reduce instances of driving while intoxicated.

As a New Jersey drunk driving defense attorney with a staff of professional attorneys, I was not too surprised to read that the state legislature has been pushing for mandatory sobriety testing following any fatal traffic accident here in the Garden State.

According to news reports, a bill sponsored by Democratic Assemblymen Nelson Albano (Cape May Court House) and Paul Moriarty (Turnersville) would make it mandatory for a driver to either submit to a breathalyzer test (such as the Alcotest device) or to give up an actual sample his or her blood to allow authorities to determine whether alcohol or drugs were present in that individual’s bloodstream and therefore may have been contributing factor in the crash.

October 9, 2010

New Jersey Man Acquitted of Vehicular Homicide in Fatal Drunk Driving-related ATV Accident

by Jonathan F. Marshall

According to news reports, a New Jersey man was found not guilty of homicide while driving drunk on an all-terrain vehicle. The original charges came from a DWI-related ATV accident back in 2009, which allegedly resulted in the death of another individual in Manchester Township.

Based on court records, 22-year-old Mark Renehan was declared not guilty in connection with the drunk driving-related death of his best friend, Jonathon Byram, on July 5, 2009. The charges at that time included homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, drunk driving, involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment.

The young man’s attorney stated that because of the nature of the case, the prosecution should have done a more thorough examination of the circumstances before bringing the case to trial. As it ended up, the lawyer for Renehan said that the acquittal was a “just outcome.” The attorney went on to say that the jury came to the correct conclusion, especially considering that the defendant “lost his best friend” in the accident, making it a difficult trial for both his family and that of the victim’s.

September 16, 2010

NJ Drunk Driving News: Out-of-State Motorist Pleads Guilty in Fatal Lower Township DWI Case

by Jonathan F. Marshall

According to news reports, anout-of-state driver charged in the drunk driving death of a driver from Lower Township, NJ, has pleaded guilty to that 2009 fatal crash. In addition, court records show that the defendant, 38-year-old John J. Lawless, had been charged with driving under the influence a total of eight times over the course of 13 years.

As a New Jersey DWI defense lawyer I know how serious a fatal drunken driving or drug DUI charge can be. In this case, the defendant was arrested after his vehicle struck another car driven by 50-year-old Frederick Shelton in September of last year.

Police reports show that Shelton’s vehicle was going southbound along Route 9 near Bennett’s Crossing, NJ, in Lower Township when Lawless’ vehicle came across the roadway’s centerline and smashed into Shelton’s car. Emergency responders arriving at the site of the crash pronounced Shelton dead at the scene.

July 31, 2010

New Jersey DWI News: Drunk Driving Blamed in Fatal Somerset County Motorcycle Accident

by Jonathan F. Marshall

As a New Jersey drunk driving defense lawyer, I’ll be the first to tell someone that mixing alcohol and motorcycle riding is a recipe for disaster. But sadly, drinking and driving even for seasoned bikers is not uncommon. When someone makes a mistake and takes to the road after having a drink or two, the result can be a DWI arrest at the hands of one of New Jersey’s local, state or municipal law enforcement officers.

A news article not long ago told the story of a dual motorcycle crash that allegedly involved drunken driving. According to reports, three out-of-state riders met in a violent way on Route 78 near Bedminster, NJ, in late June. Police reports indicate that two motorcycles crashed in the early hours on a Sunday morning in northern New Jersey.

The crash, which the New Jersey State Police logged as a DWI-related claimed the life of a woman and left her companion critically injured. The other lone rider was arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

June 2, 2010

Comatose Woman Dies following 2007 Fatal Drunk Driving Accident Caused by Ex-New Jersey Cop

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Having worked for many years as a municipal prosecutor I gained a healthy respect for the people serving in law enforcement. Now as a New Jersey DWI defense lawyer, I defend motorists accused of driving while intoxicated, arrested by some of those very same officers. While I admire the dedication of our police and their commitment to public safety, it gives me pause when I read about patrolmen and other individuals associated with law enforcement who flaunt the very laws they are sworn to uphold.

Being accused of drunken driving is nothing to be taken lightly, especially when fines and jail time are fairly heavy and the social stigma of being convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol can very often ruin reputations and business careers. The police, like other persons of authority, have a duty to be exemplary role models to the rest of society.

A recent news article reminds all of us that police officers do not always practice what they preach, and sometimes cause great harm when ignoring the law themselves. Based on reports, forty-year-old Ruth Zelaya died on March 24 as a result of “complications from a 2007 car crash that killed her 2-year-old son and left her in a comatose state until her recent passing.

March 22, 2010

Drunk Driving Defense News: New Jersey Man Faces 60 Years in Prison for Fatal DWI Accident

by Jonathan F. Marshall

A Morris County jury recently convicted a Dover, NJ, resident in connection with the April 2006 deaths of two teenage girls. As a result of the guilty verdict for aggravated manslaughter, the defendant Eugene Baum, Jr. could be looking at a maximum of 60 years in prison for the fatal drunk driving-related accident.

As a New Jersey DWI defense attorney, my law firm handles cases not unlike this one on a regular basis. Because of the facts in the case, it’s not surprising that the prosecutors would be seeking the maximum sentence of 60 years in jail for the defendant. According to news reports, the accident occurred in Kinnelon, NJ, on April 20, 2006, when Baum ran over the two cousins while operating his vehicle in an apparent drunken stupor.

News articles stated that the jury deliberated for three hours before declaring the 48-year-old Dover resident guilty of two counts each of aggravated manslaughter and death-by-auto. Following the guilty verdict, the Morris County Prosecutor said his office would seek a 60-year sentence — 30 years apiece for the aggravated manslaughters. The accident took the lives of 16-year-old Athear Jafar and 15-year-old Mayada Jafar.

March 16, 2010

Former New Jersey Police Officer Goes to Prison for Fatal DWI Pedestrian Accident

by Jonathan F. Marshall

When it comes to car-pedestrian accidents, the person on foot rarely has a chance. Add alcohol consumption into the mix and that’s a potentially deadly combination. The trial of a Jersey City police officer who was arrested for the drunk driving death of a pedestrian has recently come to its completion. According to news reports, the off-duty officer faces up to 10 years in prison for killing a pedestrian in an out-of-state DWI crash.

As a New Jersey drunk driving defense attorney, I have been on both sides of the aisle in cases similar to this one. An arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol, breath test refusal or prescription drug DUI is already a serious situation that calls for the assistance of a qualified drunk driving lawyer. In cases involving a fatality, whether pedestrian or another driver, an experienced DWI attorney is a necessity.

Based on news articles, the incident that led to the arrest occurred in Manhattan back in Early 2009. At that time, the former officer, Martin Abreu reportedly had a blood-alcohol content of 0.124 percent when he struck and killed 26-year-old Huang “Marilyn” Feng. Based on reports, Abreu’s police partner was riding in the car with him at the time of the collision.