Failure to Report Accident, N.J.S.A. 39:4-130
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If you feel you have been unfairly charged with drunk driving, then read on. Police in Bayonne, New Jersey, recently charged a gentleman with drunk driving and other offenses. News reports indicate the cops saw the gentleman running red lights and driving erratically. Moreover, the cops claim they determined during the stop that he had been drinking. But the news did not disclose what the cops observed during the stop to form a belief about his intoxication. This matters! Despite this omission, however, the cops charged him with driving while intoxicated. Read More
If the cops in New Jersey charged you with DWI in a School Zone, then read on. Jersey City cops recently alleged that a man fled an accident and collided with about two dozen other vehicles before they arrested him. In addition, media reports indicate witnesses saw the motorist collide with seven vehicles. Furthermore, a tow truck operator claimed the incident involved 20 vehicles. The tow truck driver, whom the media neither identified nor qualified as a Drug Recognition Expert, claimed the driver was “high off something.” Nevertheless, the media quoted this lay witness as stating, “Like angel dust.” Police arrested the driver about one mile from the accident. Consequently, they charged him with DWI in a school zone. Additionally, they charged him with marijuana possession, DWI, reckless driving, and leaving the scene of an accident. Moreover, they charged him with careless driving and failure to report an accident. Read More
Apparently the news about crime comes from police department news releases. To prepare this post about Leaving the Scene of an Accident, I read a news item that began, “Lopatcong Township police responding to a crash scene early Wednesday found a traffic light knocked down, but no vehicle, according to a news release.” http://www.nj.com/warren/index.ssf/2017/01/drunken_driver_leaves_crash_scene_outside_phillips.html (emphasis added) (last visited January 19, 2017). Surprisingly, the reporter did not write about his independent investigation.
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