PARSIPPANY — On June 23, at 12:25 a.m., Parsippany Police Seargent Ferreira, Patrolman Ross, Patrolman Nicos, Patrolman Piccinini, Patrolman Santangelo, and Patrolman Harvey responded to the area of Route 46 East and New Road for a two-car motor vehicle crash.
The two vehicles involved in the crash were a Chevy Malibu and a Chrysler Pacifica. Patrolman Piccininni spoke with the driver of the Chrysler Pacifica, Mr. Peter Lee, 50, Verona, who stated he observed the Chevy Malibu swerving between the lanes on Route 46 East, prompting Mr. Lee to proceed past the vehicle. Mr. Lee stopped at the red light located at the intersection of Route 46 and New Road, where the Chevy Malibu then struck the rear end of his vehicle.
Patrolman Piccininni then contacted the Chevy Malibu occupants. The driver, Elmer Delacruz-Cruz, 39, Dover, provided Patrolman Piccininni with his license, registration, and insurance card. Patrolman Piccininni observed Mr. Delacruz-Cruz’s eyes to be red, glassy, and bloodshot. Additionally, the officer detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from Mr. Delacruz-Cruz. Patrolman Piccininni and Patrolman Ross instructed Mr. Delacruz-Cruz to turn off and exit his vehicle, to which he complied.
Patrolman Harvey asked Mr. Delacruz-Cruz if he had consumed any alcoholic beverages, and he said he had consumed two drinks earlier in the evening.
The officers performed field sobriety tests, which Mr. Delacruz-Cruz failed. He was then transported to Parsippany Police Headquarters, where two adequate breath samples, the Alcotest, indicated that his BAC was 0.15%. The results were compared with the New Jersey State Police Alcotest Calculator, which revealed the results were within acceptable tolerance.
The following summons to Mr. Delacruz-Cruz:
•Operating Under the influence of drugs or alcohol (39:4-50)
•Reckless Driving (39:4-96)
•Careless Driving (39:4-97)
•Following to close (39:4-89)
Mr. Delacruz-Cruz was released to a friend who signed the Potential Liability Form (John’s Law). Mr. Delacruz-Cruz has a court date of August 15.
Editors Note: The court’s rules require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
