Manchester Man Arrested for Driving While Intoxicated after Running from Scene of Accident

On Sunday, May 31, police arrested a twenty-four year old Manchester man on charges of driving while intoxicated, along with additional charges of driving while suspended, reckless driving, assault by auto, and resisting arrest. The defendant was involved in a two-car accident in Lacey Township around 1 o’clock in the morning, and fled the scene of the accident on foot. However, authorities later found Pierson only one block away from the scene of the accident. At that time he was transported to the hospital for medical treatment. The other driver involved in the accident was also treated for minor injuries.

Under N.J.S.A. 39:4-50, as a result of the driving while intoxicated charges, the defendant will be up against potential penalties including a driver’s license suspension of a t least 3 months, $700 or more in fines and fees, an annual insurance surcharge of $1,000 each year for three years, and possibly up to 30 days of time in jail. If he has been convicted of or pled guilty to a DWI before, penalties would increase in severity depending on the number of prior convictions. For a third offense, penalties could then include a driver’s license suspension of 10 years, an ignition interlock requirement throughout the license suspension and for 1 to 3 years afterwards, more than $1,500 in fines and fees, $1,500 per year in insurance surcharges for three years, and 180 days (about 6 months) of jail time.

The defendant may also be subject to additional penalties for the other charges he is facing. Under N.J.S.A. 39:3-40, driving while suspended carries penalties including a fine of $500 to $1,000 and additional license suspension of up to 6 months, with potential increases in these penalties for having caused an accident or if the current license suspension was because of a prior DWI; either of those cases could likely result in jail time. Under N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1c, assault by auto carries penalties including up to 6 months’ jail time and $1,000 in fines, which would have been even steeper had the injuries caused by the accident been more serious. Resisting arrest by flight could carry penalties of up to 18 months’ jail time under N.J.S.A. 2C:29-2(a)(2), and reckless driving could carry penalties of up to $200 in fines or 60 days’ jail time, increased to up to 3 months’ jail time for a second offense, under N.J.S.A. 39:4-96.