A 24-year-old New Jersey man is facing charges of driving while intoxicated and death by auto following an Oct. 19 accident that killed a 25-year-old man. The accident happened around 4 a.m. in Woodbridge, according to authorities.
The 24-year-old man was heading south on the New Jersey Turnpike in a Volkswagen Jetta when he struck the back of a tractor-trailer in the truck lane, officials reported. The 25-year-old man, who was a passenger in the Jetta, suffered blunt force trauma and died at the scene of the crash, reportedly.
According to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and the New Jersey State Police, the accident is still under investigation. It was not clear immediately following the wreck how law enforcement officials determined that the 24-year-old man was DWI. It was also not immediately clear whether officials administered a chemical sobriety test to measure the driver’s BAC at the time of the accident.
Due to the seriousness of the DWI charges, the accused individual in this case may wish to consult with a criminal defense attorney. Since the state takes an aggressive approach toward drunk-driving cases, it is important for accused individuals and their legal representation to assemble a defense against the charges that is commensurately aggressive.
In the event that law enforcement officials did not administer a chemical sobriety test before charging an individual with DWI, relying solely on the results of field sobriety tests and basic observations, then the criminal defense attorney may cast doubt on the prosecution’s DWI case. It is important to remember that accused individuals bear no responsibility before the legal system to prove their innocence. Rather, it is the prosecution that carries the burden of proving the accused individuals’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: NJ.com, “Driver charged with DWI after crash kills passenger in Woodbridge“, Anthony G Attrino, October 20, 2014
