A Sep. 9 accident that injured a bicyclist in Mahwah may have involved drunk driving. The incident occurred around 5 p.m. on North Railroad Avenue near its intersection with Ramapo Valley Road. According to reports, a 1990 Dodge Ram pickup truck driven by a 64-year-old Mahwah man turned sharply left onto North Railroad Avenue and reportedly collided with a bicycle operated by a 62-year-old New York man.
The cyclist was transported to St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Paterson, suffering from serious injuries he received after allegedly falling from his bike and striking his head. No update on his condition was available. It is unknown whether the driver of the pickup sustained any injuries. Police say the driver of the pickup appeared to be intoxicated and took him into custody on charges related to DWI, reckless driving and assault by auto. The accused man was released on a $25,000 bail.
Reports say that blood was taken from the suspect and sent to a lab to be analyzed. Results of the test were not mentioned in early reports. There was also no mention of any sobriety tests conducted at the scene.
New Jersey DWI laws are specific and often difficult to sort through. If convicted, a person may have to pay a fine and could lose their driver’s license. A DWI conviction remains on a person’s record and can negatively affect a person’s career if they are required to drive a vehicle while on the job. A person could also miss work while in jail or trying to post bail. Any individual facing DWI or similar charges may want to enlist the services of an attorney who may examine the evidence and help them build a solid defense.
Source: NJ.com, “Mahwah man charged with DWI in crash that critically injured bicyclist, prosecutor says“, Noah Cohen, September 10, 2014
