Wrong Way Collisions Involving Drugs
Some controlled substances, no matter how dangerous, have a glamorous image. In the 90s, the media referred to rail thin models with stringy hair and dark eye makeup as “heroin chic,” despite that heroin had been the world’s most feared drug until crack cocaine gripped the public’s consciousness. Before the crack cocaine epidemic that dominated news headlines, people contrasted scary heroin with fashionable cocaine. Every 70s rock anthem and every inspired Saturday Night Live sketch from the early years exists because of cocaine. “It might kill you, but at least it will give you a svelte physique” were words to live by in the 70s and 80s. These days, it is not hard to find people who think that ketamine is cute. By contrast, no one sees the allure of methadone. For decades, it was the only treatment for opioid addiction, and the only way to administer it legally was for patients to visit methadone clinics every day for a dose that would prevent opioid withdrawal symptoms just long enough for the patients to make it to their next daily visit. Like buprenorphine, the drug that has since become the preferred modality of medication-assisted therapy for opioid addiction, methadone is an opioid, and it is incompatible with driving; consider that methadone clinics are almost always within walking distance of a bus stop. If you got injured in a car accident where the driver was under the influence of methadone, contact an auto accident lawyer.
Ocean Gate Man Was Under the Influence of Methadone When He Crossed the Center Lane
During morning rush hour one day in February 2026, a man from Ocean Gate was driving in Lacey. He was driving east on South Street when his car drifted into the westbound lanes, crossing the center line. An SUV that was driving westward struck the car. Neither of the drivers suffered severe injuries.
When police stopped to investigate the collision, they noticed that the man from Ocean Gate seemed to be under the influence of drugs, and therefore they determined that there was probable cause to search his car. During the search, they found drug paraphernalia and a bottle of pills that turned out to be methadone. The driver did not have a prescription for the methadone pills.
In New Jersey, it is not a crime to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs unless you cause an accident. Therefore, the Ocean Gate man was arrested for drunk driving and booked into the Ocean County jail. As of the time that the NJ.com news website reported on the accident, the case against the at fault driver was still pending; the outcome of the criminal case does not affect the SUV driver’s right to seek monetary damages.
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 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.
Source:
nj.com/ocean/2026/01/jersey-shore-man-was-drunk-had-drugs-in-car-when-he-caused-crash-authorities-say.html
