It is one of the most basic of instincts people develop as children — to flee when facing potential trouble. Often, when a parent discovers a child holding a forbidden item, the immediate response from the child is to drop the object and run away as if the lack of his presence would indicate he was never there. These practices often follow through into adulthood. Sometimes, when an adult finds himself in a situation that could get him into trouble, the natural response is to leave the scene and hope no one knows he was there. That is what police claim a New Jersey man did last week after he was involved in a drunk driving crash.
On the evening of November 18, police were called to the scene of a hit-and run crash. A driver had accidentally run into a parked car, causing damage to his vehicle so severe that he was not able to drive it away. Instead, the man and a female passenger reportedly attempted to flee the scene on foot. The person who had made the call to the police to report the accident identified the couple as the occupants of the disabled vehicle.
After admitting he was, in fact, the driver of the vehicle and failing field sobriety testing, the man was arrested. He faces multiple charges associated with the accident, including driving while intoxicated, driving with a suspended license, reckless driving, failure to report an accident, leaving the scene of an accident, and refusal to submit breath samples. His vehicle was impounded.
Although it seems only natural to leave the scene when faced with the possibility of trouble, sometimes, that can cause even more negative consequences. In this case, additional charges were added that the man would not have otherwise faced. Accidents happen, poor choices are sometimes made, and there comes a time when the consequences of those events have to be confronted. The best course of action for anyone who finds him or herself in a similar situation or accused of drunk driving is to enlist the aid of a knowledgeable attorney who is familiar with the laws of New Jersey, who can help the client obtain the most positive outcome possible.