At Fault Driver Gets Prison Sentence on Anniversary of Fatal Crash
The penalties for drunk driving in New Jersey are plenty punitive, even though DWI does not count as a criminal offense when the drunk driver does not cause an accident. When the drivers’ only mistake was to drive when their blood alcohol content (BAC) exceeded the legal limit, but they did not crash, the DWI cases go through traffic court, where drivers must pay thousands of dollars in fines and use ignition interlock devices on their cars; sometimes they are even briefly detained in jail. Criminal penalties only occur when drunk drivers cause accidents, and if the collision leads to death or serious bodily injury, then the driver might have to serve a long prison sentence if convicted. Not everyone who causes a serious accident while drunk goes to jail, though, because there are so many situations where the rules of criminal procedure require the court to exclude pieces of evidence if the circumstances surrounding the collection of this evidence violated the rights of the defendant or was against the interests of justice. Regardless of the outcome of the criminal case, injured people have the right to seek compensation in civil court. For help pursuing a personal injury lawsuit against a drunk driver who got convicted or whose criminal case is still pending, contact an auto accident lawyer.
Car Crashes Into Second Floor of House in Freak Accident
In February 2022, a man from Warren County was driving drunk on Route 57 in Washington Township. He tried to pass two vehicles on an area of the road that does not allow passing, and he lost control of the car. His car ran off the road and crashed into a house by the side of the road. The impact ejected the driver, who landed inside the house on the first floor. Meanwhile, the car crashed through the wall of a bedroom on the second floor. The passenger who was still in the car suffered fatal injuries. A woman who was asleep in the bedroom also suffered serious injuries; she was in critical condition when she arrived at the hospital, but she eventually recovered from her injuries. Surprisingly, the driver’s injuries were minor. The husband of the injured woman was also in the house at the time of the accident, but he was in another room and was not injured.
The driver was eventually convicted of vehicular manslaughter and assault by auto. On the fourth anniversary of the accident, the court handed down a 30-year sentence for the manslaughter charge and a 10-year sentence for the assault by auto charge. He must serve the sentences consecutively, meaning a 40-year sentence, and he will not become eligible for parole until after he has served at least 85 percent of his sentence.
Contact Monaco Law About Car Accidents
Contact Monaco Law PC in Marlton, New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to discuss your car accident case. Joseph Monaco is a New Jersey and Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer and wrongful death attorney serving Atlantic County, Bucks County, Burlington County, Cape May County, Camden County, Chester County, Cumberland County, Delaware County, Gloucester County, Mercer County, Middlesex County, Monroe County, Montgomery County, Philadelphia, Ocean County, Salem County, Susquehanna County and all of New Jersey.
Sources:
nj.com/warren/2026/02/man-who-smashed-into-2nd-floor-bedroom-in-deadly-dwi-crash-sentenced-to-decades-in-nj-prison.html
wfmz.com/news/area/western-newjersey/warren-county/4-years-later-warren-co-man-gets-maximum-sentence-in-n-j-for-drunk-driving/article_6cdd9d61-a03d-45ec-9a86-a584d2a2cbab.html
