FRANKLIN TWP. – Officer Clifford Trovillo suffered multiple injuries after he was hit by a motorist suspected to be driving under the influence.

The motorist, identified as 36-year-old Angela L. Feaster of Glassboro, faced multiple charges including drunken driving, child-endangerment and assault by auto.

The incident took place Friday night in a two-car crash when the vehicle driven by Feaster collided with a police vehicle in Franklin Township.

According to the authorities, Officer Clifford Trovillo was traveling on Route 40/Harding Highway when his police vehicle was struck by a car traveling south on Tuckahoe Road shortly after 8 p.m. There was a stop sign at the intersection which was disregarded by Feaster, who then struck Trovillo’s vehicle. The Franklin Township police stated that Feaster’s three kids were passengers in her vehicle.

The officer suffered a concussion, two broken wrists and a broken ankle and had to be airlifted to Cooper University Hospital for treatment. Trovillo, who is a 14-year-veteran, was reported to be in “good” condition Saturday morning.

Feaster suffered a broken ankle in the accident and was taken to Kennedy Hospital for treatment. One of the three children was also transported to Cooper for treatment of possible internal injuries.

She was charged with driving while intoxicated, assault by auto and three counts of child endangerment, and was placed in Salem County Correctional Facility after treatment of her injuries. Her bail was set at $50,000.

Apart from the Franklin Township police, Newfield, Glassboro, Monroe and Buena police departments assisted on the scene. They were also joined by New Jersey State Police, Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, Franklin Township Ambulance, Star Cross Fire Police Forest and Grove Volunteer Fire Department.

News Source: www.NJ.com

ELMWOOD PARK -24-year-old Troy Saucier of Suffern, N.Y., was driving under the influence of heroin when he fatally struck 65-year-old Rasim Hida, of Elmwood Park in a parking lot.

The incident took place Friday evening in the parking lot of the Walgreen’s pharmacy on Broadway.

According to the authorities, Saucier was operating a 2003 Jeep Liberty in the Walgreen’s parking lot at around 6:41 p.m. when he drove on to the sidewalk. Hida was walking in front of the Walgreens when he was struck as Saucier drove on to the sidewalk. He was taken to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. The report was released in a joint news release by Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli and Elmwood Park police Chief Michael Foligno.

When police arrived at the scene, Saucier was found unresponsive in his Jeep. He was believed to be under the influence of heroin. He had to be revived with the help of Narcan. It is not known if Saucier passed out before the crash or after.

Authorities found drugs and drug paraphernalia in his vehicle after a search.

He is facing multiple charges including vehicular homicide, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of drug paraphernalia as well as driving under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance. Apart from these charges, he was also issued summonses for driving under the influence and reckless driving.

He was sent to the Bergen County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in court for his arraignment on 15 September.

News Source: www.NJ.com

ELIZABETH – 48-year-old Victor Belo of North Arlington was charged with operating heavy machinery while driving under the influence and striking and killing a woman in the process.

The incident took place on 7 August at a city marine terminal.

Belo surrendered to the police on Monday and was charged with vehicular homicide. 49-year-old Judy Jones of Newark was killed in the accident, according to Grace Park, the acting Union County Prosecutor.

Reports confirm that the Port Authority police and emergency medical personnel were called to the APM terminal in Elizabeth where Jones was found. She had been struck by a toploader and was severely injured and was later pronounced dead at the scene.

An investigation carried out by Port Authority police Detective Robert Caron and members of the Union County Homicide Task Force determined that Belo was driving under the influence and his BAC level was over the legal limit of 0.08% when the incident took place. He is being held at the Union County Jail on $75,000 bail. His bail was set by state Superior Court Judge Robert Mega.

Belo faces a second-degree charge that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison once convicted.

News Source: www.NJ.com

WOODBURY – 31-year-old Kelli D. Hennessey of Franklin Township was released from jail last week for her third drunk driving conviction when she added a fourth conviction to her record after being released.

Hennessey was convicted Tuesday on three counts of assault by auto in a school zone for a drunken driving incident that took place on 6 November, 2011. She was involved in a crash in Glassboro when she hit three Rowan University students who were crossing Delsea Drive. Two of the students suffered leg injuries, whereas the third student suffered a broken collarbone and a broken leg which had to be reinforced with a metal rod. She also suffered facial cuts that required stitches as she was thrown into the windshield upon impact. The students were unable to identify the driver.

According to the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office, Hennessey’s bail was revoked and she was jailed pending her Sept. 11 sentencing.

After completing a 180-day sentence, Hennessey was released from jail last Friday. She was serving for drunken driving, which stemmed from her 2010 arrest in Clayton.

During her trial, Hennessey testified that an acquaintance was driving her car, when she was involved in her latest case. She said that the acquaintance fled the scene after the crash and that she was the only passenger in the vehicle. The acquaintance was not called as a witness at the hearing.

According to a Glassboro police officer, Hennessey admitted that she was driving the Ford Taurus at the scene. She was issued a breath test which showed her blood alcohol level at 0.13%, much higher than the legal limit of 0.08% for driving in New Jersey.

Reports given by Assistant Gloucester County Prosecutor Staci Scheetz stated that the crash occurred within 1,000 feet of Glassboro Intermediate School. Vehicular assault in a school zone that results in serious injury is a second-degree crime, and is punishable by 5-10 years in prison. Third-degree assault by auto means a sentence of 3-5 years.

Hennessey faced multiple counts of assault by auto in a school zone, one of which was second-degree, and the other two were third-degree.

News Source: www.NJ.com

LOWER TOWNSHIP – Municipal prosecutor Peter Tourison resigned from his position as solicitor at the Lower Cape May Regional School District after being charged with drunk driving in neighboring Cape May.

Tourison, who also has private practice on Bayshore Road, still holds attorney positions at the North Wildwood School District and Erma Volunteer Fire Company. He is also a North Cape May attorney.

According to Tourison, he had three drinks on Sunday before he was pulled over by Cape May Police on Madison Avenue. He blames himself for the incident, as he took two breath tests and they both came at the lowest drunk-driving level of 0.08%.

“It is what it is. It was my own fault,” said Tourison.

In 2008, Tourison resigned from several municipal judge positions when he was involved in a minor motor vehicle drunk-driving accident that took place at the North Cape May Wawa on Bayshore Road.

The legal limit for driving in the region was lowered to 0.08% from 0.10% in 2004. Since then, a lot of people stopped and arrested for DUI say that they only had a few drinks. A BAC level in the range of 0.08% is consistent with having just a few drinks, although it may be influenced by a number of other factors such as food consumption, body weight etc.

News Source: www.PressOfAtlanticCity.com

28-year-old Ravi Patel of Jersey City was charged with DUI after he was found sleeping behind the wheel by Port Authority police.

According to a spokesman for the police department, Patel was behind the wheel in Jersey City traffic causing traffic to build behind him. The incident took place around 1 am at Central and Pavonia avenues, told spokesman Joe Pentangelo who is with Port Authority police.

When officers roused Patel, they found him incoherent with slurred speech. He groggily uttered that he had just left a bar.

Police records showed that Patel had five outstanding warrants, from Secaucus and Carlstadt, and three warrants from Rutherford, that totaled $2,450.

He was charged with DUI and reckless driving.

News Source: www.NJ.com

VINELAND – 29-year-old Charmaine Pitts of Lake Road was charged Monday for allegedly punching and spitting at police officers after she was stopped for DWI with children in her car.

According to police reports, Pitts faced multiple charges including assault on police, aggravated assault on police by throwing bodily fluids, possession of marijuana under 50 grams, resisting arrest as well as endangering the welfare of children.

Pitts’ car was spotted in the area of East Plum and North 7th streets on Monday around 7:54 pm by Vineland police. An adult passenger and three children were inside the car at the time.

When police tried to arrest her, she resisted. She allegedly assaulted Officer Jason Judice by punching him and allegedly spit on police officers while she was in custody.

The officers also carried out a search and found marijuana in her coat pocket.

She was held in the Cumberland County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.

News Source: www.NJ.com

48-year-old Hector Rios of Wenonah was charged with DUI after he hit four children in Woodbury Heights on Tuesday evening.

According to the police, Rios was coming back from a relative’s house and was traveling north on Chestnut Avenue when his truck left the road on the right-hand side. The incident took place just before 8 pm. After that, Rios drifted back onto the road, went across the street and into the woods on the opposite side of the road.

However, just before entering the woods, his pickup struck four children who had been playing outside of a Chestnut Avenue home at the time of the accident. The kids included a 15-year-old girl, an 8-year-old boy and another boy and girl, who were both 4 years old.

The names of the kids were not released. All of them were taken to the trauma center at Cooper Hospital in Camden except the 4-year-old girl. The teenager and the 4-year-old boy sustained only bruises and were released after examination.

The 8-year-old boy had to undergo surgery for dental and jaw injuries, and got several stitches for various other wounds. He was still in the hospital on Wednesday afternoon. The little girl was treated at Inspira Medical Center in Woodbury for unspecified injuries and released later that night.

According to police reports, Rios’ foot never left the accelerator even after his vehicle came to a stop. The truck knocked down several small trees in the woods which got caught beneath it, preventing it from rolling onto a set of railroad tracks.

A neighbor who witnessed the whole accident rushed to help. He broke down the passenger side window to turn off the truck before pulling Rios from the driver’s seat.

Rios faced multiple charges including DUI, assault by auto while DWI, reckless driving and careless driving. He was held at the Salem County Jail on $25,000 bail.

Rios’ intoxication level was not disclosed by the police nor did they elaborate whether Rios was injured in the crash or not.

The incident is still under investigation by Ptl. Jason Neely and Investigator Gary Krohn of the Woodbury Heights Police Department.

News Source: www.NJ.com