DWI Injury Accident

October 15, 2009

Bergen County Man Charged with NJ Parkway DWI Traffic Accident that Injured Three

Alcohol-related injury accidents are one of the more serious types of DWI-related traffic offenses. Recently a Hackensack, NJ, resident was charged with driving while intoxicated and as well as allegedly causing a two-car crash on the Garden State Parkway that resulted in injury to the suspect, his passenger and the driver of a second vehicle. As a New Jersey drunk driving defense lawyer, my firm has represented people who have found themselves in similar circumstances.

According to reports, the accident occurred a little after 10pm on Friday, September 25 in Ocean County around the 74-mile marker on the Garden State Parkway. Police reports show that 40-year-old John Twomey was driving southbound in his 1996 Infiniti with Kevrye Lantigua, 18, from Perth Amboy.

The investigation was still underway at the time of the news report, however it appears that Twomey’s vehicle struck a second vehicle driven by Christine Doran, a 35-year-old resident of Barnegat. Authorities say that emergency responders tending to the victims noticed the scent of alcohol on Twomey’s breath, as well as open containers of alcohol were in the Infinity. According to police reports, the man admitted to drinking Bacardi rum while in the vehicle.

September 27, 2009

Morristown Court Levies 41-year License Suspension on Repeat New Jersey DWI Driving Offender

by Jonathan F. Marshall

An East Ruther ford man was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison by a Morris County, NJ, court on September 18 in the culmination of more than one dozen drunk driving convictions and 78 license suspensions over his driving career. Shaun P. Campbell, 40, was sentenced in Superior Court, Morristown, for the auto wreck in Morris Township that he caused while driving under the influence of alcohol this past April, as well as two other DWIs and driving while suspended he accumulated in Wayne and Pequannock in 2008.

As a New Jersey drunk driving defense lawyer and former municipal prosecutor, I must say that this is one of the most active drunk drivers to come through this state’s court system in a while; which is likely why the Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Brian DiGiacomo requested “enhanced penalties” for Mr. Campbell, and why the court obliged by suspending the defendant’s driver’s license for an astounding 41 years.

Equating the dangers of Campbell’s drinking and driving with the actions of a violent criminal, the court held up his 16 DWI convictions and 78 license suspensions as justification for the sentence, which included a 4 1/2-year prison term, more than $9,000 in fines and the near half-century license suspension.

September 25, 2009

Middlesex County Man Gets 8 Years in Prison for DWI Traffic Death of Perth Amboy Cop

by Jonathan F. Marshall

A Woodbridge, NJ, man was sentenced to eight years in prison recently for a fatal drunk driving accident that killed a Perth Amboy patrolman. Sean McGuirk, 25, received his sentence in a New Brunswick courtroom on September 17 for the August 2008 crash that killed 31-year-old Thomas Raji and injured two other people. Although there are many kinds of drunk driving charges, as a New Jersey DWI defense lawyer I will say that the most serious cases involve injury accidents and fatal wrecks.

McGuirk’s sentence also shows what can happen when a motorist drives drunk and kills a law enforcement officer. This case was tragic and can only serve as a reminder that drinking heavily and operating a motor vehicle are not compatible.

On August 21, 2008, McGuirk was admittedly drunk when he left the Big Shots Bar in Woodbidge and got into his car. According to court records, he had been drinking for four hours starting around 11pm. He said he had “five or six drinks” before leaving for home at about 3:30am. He had testified that he also had alcohol in his car.

September 17, 2009

Union County Woman Faces Jail Time in 2nd Degree Vehicular Assault DWI Injury Accident

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Complicating a DWI charge in New Jersey with an injury accident is not a good idea. Injuring other passengers in your car or occupants of another vehicle while driving under the influence of alcohol is bad enough, but hurting a pedestrian while driving in an intoxicated state can put you in a very difficult situation. This is why having an experienced New Jersey drunk driving defense lawyer at your side is very important.

Not long ago, a car driven by a local woman struck a Lord & Taylor employee on a pedestrian crosswalk just outside of the department store in Westfield, NJ. The victim, Gina Marotta from Clark, New Jersey, was taken Newark’s University Hospital where she underwent surgery for a broken arm, a broken leg and head injuries.

Police investigating the accident alleged that the driver, Leslie Boughner, was intoxicated at the time of the accident. Charged with second degree aggravated assault with a motor vehicle for the August 5 accident, Boughner surrendered herself to the police following the investigation which started hours after the accident.

September 15, 2009

Intoxicated Out-of-state Driver Charged Vehicular Homicide in Fatal Cape May County Car Crash

by Jonathan F. Marshall

Accidents happen, that’s a fact of life. But fatal automobile accidents involving alcohol or drugs is another matter altogether. Last weekend, a 37-year-old man allegedly driving drunk hit a New Jersey family traveling on State Highway Route 9 near the intersection of Bennett’s Crossing in Cape May County, killing a husband and father of three.

As a New Jersey DWI defense attorney, I have represented individuals caught up in similar accidents. Fatal auto accidents involving drug or alcohol intoxication receive very close scrutiny by law enforcement authorities. Having a qualified drunk driving defense lawyer working for you is essential in cases like this one. The facts of this particular case are difficult to dispute.

According to police reports, around 8:30 in the evening of September 5, John J. Lawless from Philadelphia was driving in the northbound lane of Route 9 approaching Bennett’s Crossing in Lower Township, NJ. News accounts said that his car apparently failed to follow the slight curve in the road. Entering the southbound lane, Lawless struck, almost head-on, an oncoming vehicle driven by 50-year-old Fredrick H. Shelton.

September 6, 2009

Atlantic County Teacher Loses Job Due to Drunk Driving Injury Accident, DWI Arrest

by Jonathan F. Marshall

If you don’t think a drunk driving arrest can affect your livelihood or way of life, just take a look around. There are many people whose lives have been turned upside down due to a DWI or DUI conviction. As a New Jersey DWI defense attorney, the lawyers in my firm have a great deal of experience defending hard-working people all across the Garden State. Consider the case of a grade school teacher who lost her job as a result of an accident she allegedly caused while driving under the influence of alcohol.

According to news reports, Alicia M. Pickul, a resident of Hammonton, NJ, was arrested by police in mid-July following an accident in Dennis Township. Police reports indicate that the 27-year-old elementary school teacher was driving her Honda Accord westbound on Sea Isle Boulevard when she allegedly hit an Isuzu Rodeo from behind. The Isuzu, driven by Alexa Zauck, was traveling in the same direction as Pickul’s Honda.

Following the impact, the Rodeo crossed into the eastbound lane, overturned and rolled into an adjacent wooded area. Zauck and her passenger, Tracey Ruffino, were both trapped inside their vehicle until emergency crews from the Ocean View and Dennis Fire Departments arrived at the scene.

August 30, 2009

Somerset County Driver Arrested for Drunk Driving-related Injury Accident on Local Parkway

by Jonathan F. Marshall

A three-car wreck on Dukes Parkway in Hillsborough was allegedly caused by a local drunk driver in late August. Officers from the Hillsborough Police Department arrived at the scene shortly following the accident to find three damaged vehicles and several injured passengers. As a New Jersey DWI defense attorney, one of my first questions to any client accused of causing an accident as a result of drunk driving is, “Were there any injuries?” While an injury accident may complicate a driving while intoxicated defense, my office has vast experience with cases just like this one.

The driver charged in this particular incident is a 26-year-old woman from the Hillsborough area. According to reports, Erin Markakis was allegedly intoxicated when she failed to maintain her lane on Dukes Parkway West. The Lexus that she was driving hit a Toyota head-on, which then plowed into a nearby BMW. The accident happened during rush hour between Route 206 and Roycefield Road in Hillsborough.

According to the Somerset County prosecutor, and Hillsborough police chief, Markakis was driving eastbound on Dukes Parkway West in a 2002 Lexus RX300, while another driver, Emilyfee Yap, also a resident of Hillsborough, was heading west on same road in a 2001 Toyota Highlander. Behind the Toyota was a third vehicle driven by Penny Sweeney.

August 25, 2009

North Bergen, NJ, Police Arrest Bellville Man for DWI Injury Accident

by Jonathan F. Marshall

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.

August 13, 2009

Pedestrian Injured by Alleged Drunk Driver in Union County, NJ, DWI Traffic Accident

by Jonathan F. Marshall

A 25-year-old resident of Clark, NJ, was hit in a Westfield crosswalk by an allegedly drunk driver last week. According to reports, Gina Marotta was hit by a car driven by a Union County woman as she crossed the street outside of Lord & Taylor. As a New Jersey DWI defense lawyer, I have great sympathy for those injured as a result of drunk driving accidents. At the same time, I know that everyone deserves to have their say in a court of law. Driving under the influence of alcohol or even prescription drugs can cause impaired judgment and result in a DUI arrest, or worse.

The news reports regarding this incident indicate that 55-year-old Leslie Boughner hit Marotta around noon on August 5 on North Avenue as the woman was returning to her job at the Lord & Taylor department store. Police officers issued Boughner a summons for DWI and also took a blood sample to check the woman’s blood-alcohol content (BAC).

According to reports, Marotta suffered a broken arm, broken leg and head injuries. Emergency responders transported her to University Hospital in Newark, where she underwent surgery at the hospital’s trauma center.

At the time of the news reports, the Union County prosecutor’s office had not received any contact from the Westfield police regarding the case. Usually, the prosecutor’s office will be contacted by police whenever there is an incident involving hit and run cases or fatal pedestrian accidents, neither of which is the case in this instance Westfield. Depending on the victim’s injuries and her recovery, not to mention the driver’s blood test, it’s possible that the case could be handled in municipal court.
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August 4, 2009

Police Say New Jersey Man was Drunk when He Hit Seven Pedestrians in Big Apple

by Jonathan F. Marshall

As a New Jersey DWI defense lawyer, my firm has defended many people accused of being drunk at the time of an accident. When injuries or fatalities are involved, the local police take a dim view of anyone with the mere appearance of intoxication, much less full blown drunkenness. A recent news story about a Hudson County resident illustrates how serious a drunk driving charge can be when coupled with injured victims. To make things worse for this New Jersey man, he was out of state when the incident occurred.

According to news stories, 43-year-old Ediberto Viana of North Bergen Township, NJ, lost control of his sport utility vehicle in Manhattan and drove onto the sidewalk bordering Bergenline Avenue and 57th Street on July 19. The vehicle hit a total of seven pedestrians, one of which was pinned under the vehicle until emergency crews could remove the injured from the scene.

Those hurt in the accident ranged in age from 13 to 65 years old. The most seriously injured person, a 44-year-old man, was taken to Jersey City Medical Center with compound fractures of the leg, officials said. The other victims reportedly included two sisters (13 and 15 years old), a 16-year-old girl, a 63-year-old man and a 65-year-old man and another victim of unknown age.

Police arriving at the scene determined that Viana was intoxicated at the time. According to reports, the man’s blood alcohol content (BAC) was measured at 0.22 percent, nearly three times the legal limit (0.08) in New Jersey and other states. Because of this, Viana was charged with DWI, as well as seven counts of assault by auto. Because of the extent of the injuries caused by Viana, the court set bail at $150,000, cash only, at the request fo the prosecutor’s office. Charges could be upgraded depending on how the critically-injured victim fares in the hospital.
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