A man from Vernon Township New Jersey recently pleaded guilty to causing a drunk driving accident in Franklin Borough, NJ.
According to law enforcement, the 34-year-old suspect was behind the wheel of a car that crashed into another vehicle while driving on Rutherford Avenue near Route 23 early last year.
Officials alleged that the suspect was driving on the wrong side of the road because he was intoxicated at the time of the accident. The crash occurred around 10 p.m. on a Saturday night.
After the collision, the suspect allegedly attempted to flee the scene of the accident. Police officers later found the suspect a short distance away from the accident; he had reportedly collided with a guardrail and an embankment roughly a quarter-mile down the road from the accident scene.
Although the suspect did not sustain any injuries in either crash, five people were injured as a result of the drunk driving accident. The injured parties included a 41-year-old passenger in the suspect’s car, as well as the 18-year-old driver of the other vehicle and three teenage passengers in the other vehicle.
All of the injured individuals were later taken to Newton Medical Center for medical treatment. Thankfully, none of their injuries were considered life-threatening.
The suspect was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI), leaving the scene of an accident, and five counts of fourth degree assault by auto. He later pleaded guilty to the DWI charge and the assault by auto charges.
The suspect, who is from the Highland Lakes section of Vernon Township NJ, will have to return to Sussex County Superior Court in Newton NJ in April for sentencing.
For more information about this case, view the NJ.com article entitled “Man Pleads Guilty to Sussex DWI Crash That Injured 5.”