A man from Jersey Shore is facing serious charges following a crash that sent another motorist to the hospital, according to local sources. Police in Berkeley Township, New Jersey, confirmed the arrest of the 49-year-old man, who now faces charges including DWI, assault by automobile and aggravated assault. He is currently being held in an Ocean County detention center in advance of a trial date, which has not been publicly announced.
What allegedly happened?
According to the information provided in the report, it appears the man was traveling westbound in an SUV when he struck another westbound vehicle from behind. The force of the impact sent both vehicles off the road and into a wooded area. The 44-year-old female driver of the struck car was badly hurt and was rushed to a local hospital with serious injuries. The man was also taken to a hospital, though it appears this was to facilitate the blood alcohol test for which police obtained a warrant.
The result of the test allegedly showed a blood alcohol level of 0.129 at the time blood was drawn. This put the driver well above the legal limit of 0.08. It is not clear what caused police to request the blood test, but police often make such requests when a suspected individual is displaying signs of intoxication.
Moving forward when facing these type of charges
DWI cases are not always cut-and-dried. The time between an alleged DWI and a blood test can cause the test to show a very different alcohol level, sometimes much higher than what may have been the case at the time of the accident, depending on the physiology of the individual. The man’s criminal defense attorney will explore this among other options as elements of a strong defense when he faces his charges in court.