New Jersey state trooper charged with DUI while on the job

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The last person whom anyone in New Jersey expects to be involved in a car accident with is a law enforcement officer on the job who is driving under the influence of alcohol. However, a New Jersey state trooper has been arrested after hitting another vehicle with his marked cruiser. The trooper allegedly had an open container of alcohol in the vehicle at the time of the accident. The incident occurred in the afternoon of Oct. 26, when the sergeant first class, who has been on the force for 28 years, reportedly rear-ended another vehicle in Wall Township along the Garden State Parkway in a service area. The officer, who usually works in Trenton at the state house, was reportedly working on a construction detail on the day of the accident. According to a spokesman for the New Jersey State Police, the officer is facing charges of having an open container, careless driving and driving while intoxicated. He was arrested and has been suspended without pay. The trooper is scheduled to appear in court in Monmouth County to confront the charges. He has been released from custody. The results of the breathalyzer test conducted at the scene have not been made public. Fortunately, the woman who was driving the car that the officer hit was not injured. However, regardless of any criminal charges that any at-fault driver is facing or found guilty of, a victim of a car accident may be able to seek civil damages from that driver -- particularly if that driver was determined to be driving under the influence at the time of the crash. A New Jersey personal injury attorney can provide guidance and support in getting victims the compensation to which they're entitled. Source: NJ.com, "State trooper charged with drunken driving after on-duty crash," S.P. Sullivan, Oct. 27, 2015