Police in New Jersey have charged two men in connection with a traffic accident that claimed the life of a 19-year-old Jamesburg woman during the early morning hours of May 24. The 33-year-old Newark man and 28-year-old Somerset man each face a count of third-degree vehicular homicide because toxicology tests allegedly revealed that they were under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the three-car crash. They are both being detained at the Middlesex County Jail.
The alleged drunk driving accident took place on the southbound lanes of U.S. Route 1 in North Brunswick at approximately 4:11 a.m. According to a police report, a Lincoln sedan driven by the Newark man struck the car being driven by the woman. A BMW sedan driven by the Somerset man then struck both the Lincoln and the woman’s car. The woman was pronounced dead when emergency workers arrived at the scene.
Initial reports do not reveal what led investigators to conclude that the two men were impaired when the accident occurred, but they do state that the Somerset man was taken into custody on June 18 and the Newark man was arrested on June 19. The men face possible sentences of between five years and 10 years in a state prison if they are convicted.
When defending drivers in DWI cases, attorneys with experience in this area could question the reliability of toxicology test results. Blood and breath tests can measure blood alcohol concentrations very accurately, but they may provide misleading figures if blood samples are not handled properly or breath-testing equipment is not properly calibrated and maintained. Toxicology evidence could also be challenged if police reports reveal that the officers involved deviated from established testing protocols or medical records indicate that drivers suffer from conditions that could influence test results.