In April 2010, an off-duty Andover Township police officer was driving his pick-up truck on Route 80 in New Jersey after picking up a friend at Newark International Airport. Near Mount Olive, the officer suddenly lost control of his vehicle while on a downward slope. He hit a guardrail and his truck overturned. The officer and one of his three passengers were killed in the car accident, and the other two passengers suffered serious injuries but ultimately survived.
Recently, the estate of the deceased passenger, a 19-year-old woman from Newton, filed a lawsuit against the estate of the officer, a 25-year-old man who was also from Newton. The lawsuit claims that the officer had been drinking before he got behind the wheel, which ultimately caused the accident.
According to the lawsuit, the autopsy and toxicology reports on the officer showed that he had a blood alcohol level of 0.107 percent at the time of the motor vehicle accident and his death, which is above New Jersey’s legal limit of 0.08 percent. The suit also names currently-unknown “John Does” who may have served the officer too much alcohol and allowing him to get behind the wheel. The estate of the deceased woman, which is being administered by her father, is seeking monetary damages to compensate for the fatal injuries suffered by the woman and for the pecuniary value of her life.
While he could not comment on the pending lawsuit, Andover Township Police Chief Gil Taglialatela said that the officer was highly esteemed throughout the police department. “He was a great guy, always willing to lend a hand,” he said.
If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a drunk driving accident, please contact Breslin & Breslin for a free consultation.
Source: Daily Record, “Estate of woman killed in Mt. Olive, NJ crash sues deceased driver’s estate”, Peggy Wright, 11 January 2011