New Jersey DWI Lawyer Blog
There are dozens of drunk driving cases tried every week here in the Garden State. What many of them have in common is that a motorist was suspected of driving while under the influence of alcohol or prescription drugs — sometimes even illegal substances, such as marijuana or cocaine — and was issued a summons for DWI or DUI by a New Jersey state police officer or a local patrolman after being stopped for some kind of traffic violation.
As New Jersey drunk driving defense attorneys, I and my colleagues have represented numerous individuals accused of drinking and driving, drug DUI or underage DWI. A smaller, but no less significant number of motorists may have been charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated by beer, wine or hard liquor following a roadway accident. Whether or not it’s a DWI charge related to a serious injury accident, the fines and penalties for a drunken driving conviction are neither cheap nor relaxed here in Jersey.
It’s interesting to note how many first-time drunk driving offenders are otherwise law-abiding citizen who pay their taxes and obey the law. To this point, most drivers arrested for a first-time DWI or DUI can be surprised to find out that they are accused of being legally drunk or impaired at the time of the incident. As New Jersey DWI trial lawyers, we represented dozens of drivers monthly. But one of the things that can complicate a DWI defense is certainly the inclusion of a reckless driving charge associated with a traffic accident.
We often see instances like those in the news a short while ago involving accidents tied to drinking and driving. According to a news article, Middletown police were rather busy earlier in March when two accidents occurred in that municipality within 30 minutes or so of each other. In one case, a driver behind the wheel of a Chevrolet sport utility vehicle apparently lost control of his vehicle and struck a couple of utility poles as well as two parked cars along a stretch of Rte 36.
In that initial incident, the 49-year-old’s Chevy Suburban completely snapped the first pole near Michigan Ave. and then continued on down the road to strike the parked vehicles, which were sitting in a used car lot, before hitting the second pole and eventually coming to rest near York St. Police and other emergency responders arrived on the scene shortly after to assist the driver and transport him to Jersey Shore University Medical Center. As a result of that crash, police reportedly charged the motorist with DWI.
In the second incident, a 47-year-old Local resident was arrested by Middletown police officers and charged with driving while intoxicated, among other offenses, following a collision near the intersection of Twinbrooks Ave. and Woodland Dr. after he reportedly lost control of his Ford Mustang and hit a curb and a nearby telephone pole. The force of the impact caused the car to roll over on its roof. EMS personnel arriving at the crash site administered first aid and then took the victim to Riverview Hospital for treatment after which he was later released.
UPDATE: DWI Charges in Two Accidents Monday Night in Middletown; Patch.com; March 6, 2013