Connecticut Man Gets Prison Time for Causing Fatal DWI Crash in Westfield, New Jersey

The driver of a car that struck and killed a man in Westfield NJ recently admitted that he was intoxicated at the time of the auto accident and pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter charges.

The drunk driving accident occurred just after 1:00 a.m. on October 1, 2011 in Westfield, New Jersey. According to Union County prosecutors, the suspect was highly intoxicated and exceeding the speed limit while operating a 2009 Honda Accord and traveling on Clifton Street in Westfield, NJ. The suspect allegedly ran through a stop sign as he passed the intersection of Clifton Street and Tice Place. The suspect’s negligent actions on the road resulted in him colliding with another vehicle, a 2001 Cadillac El Dorado that was also attempting to move through the intersection.

The driver of the other vehicle involved in the auto accident was a 69-year-old man from Old Bridge, New Jersey. He was thrown from the vehicle upon impact and went through the windshield before landing on the roadway. Emergency medical responders later pronounced the victim dead at the scene of the accident.

Another person suffered significant physical injuries as a result of the car crash. The other motorist’s girlfriend was a passenger in the vehicle and sustained catastrophic injuries that required hospitalization and months of rehabilitation and physical therapy.

Meanwhile, the suspect was placed under arrest and charged with Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) because he allegedly registered a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of more than .08 percent, which means that he was above the legal limit for motorists in New Jersey.

Now the suspect is headed to prison after reaching a plea deal with the Union County Prosecutor’s Office and agreeing to plead guilty to criminal charges for vehicular homicide. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Union County prosecutors are expected to recommend that the suspect be sentenced to a term of incarceration of four years in New Jersey State Prison. (The terms of the plea deal also call for the suspect to serve a minimum of 85 percent of the sentence before he becomes eligible for release on parole.) The sentence will be handed down next month when the suspect returns to Union County Superior Court for an official sentencing hearing.

The suspect is a 30-year-old resident of Trumbull, Connecticut who grew up in Westfield NJ and previously attended Westfield High School. He had come from Connecticut to visit friends and family in Union County when the fatal car accident occurred. Last year, he ran for political office in Connecticut and was elected to the Trumbull Township Council. His political success was short-lived, though, as he had to resign shortly after reports of his role in the fatal DWI accident surfaced.

For additional information about this case, check out the following article: Man admits driving drunk in Westfield crash that killed 69-year-old