An employee of the New Jersey Department of Transportation has been accused of operating a snowplow while intoxicated. Police charged the man after his snowplow collided with two different vehicles.
According to authorities, the 36-year-old snowplow driver sideswiped one of the vehicles at approximately 5:40 p.m. last Monday in Pequannock. After sideswiping the first vehicle, the man got out of his snowplow, looked at the damage, then got back into his snowplow and hit another vehicle from behind. Fortunately, no one suffered injuries in either of the collisions.
A female driver was inside the vehicle that was hit from behind. She said that as soon as she saw the snowplow coming in her direction, she pushed her foot down on the brake pedal so she wouldn’t hit the car in front of her. Then, after she made sure that her car was stopped she got out, examined the damage and then banged on the snowplow driver’s window to say, “You hit me!”
Allegedly, the man apologized, got out of his car and waited for authorities to arrive. Police say that he was teeter-tottering on his feet and it took two officers to hold him upright while they administered DWI tests. Police said his blood alcohol content (BAC) tested at .37 percent, which is more than nine times the legal limit for someone who is driving a commercial vehicle. Police also say that he exhibited the external signs of alcohol impairment. The man is now facing charges of driving while intoxicated, driving a commercial vehicle while intoxicated and reckless driving.
A DWI conviction could end the career of a commercial driver in a heartbeat. As such, whenever the driver of a commercial vehicle is accused of drunk driving, it’s important that the individual handle his or her criminal defenses carefully.
Source: abc7ny.com, “New Jersey state worker accused of driving snow plow drunk, hitting vehicles,” Jan. 09, 2018
