A woman was injured and a man is facing DWI charges following a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Stafford Avenue and Parker Street on Saturday, August 24.
According to the police, the crash happened at around 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. 24-year-old Riley Harris was traveling westbound on Stafford Avenue in a pickup truck when he allegedly drove through a stop sign and blinking traffic light at the intersection with Parker Street. He then allegedly struck an SUV driven by 58-year-old Susan Laprete.
The pickup truck struck the SUV on the front passenger’s side, sending the SUV into a parked car in front of a home on Parker Street. Laprete’s SUV came to a stop on top of the parked vehicle and Harris’ came to a stop after colliding with a tree on the same property.
Laprete suffered several injuries in the crash. Emergency responders removed her from her vehicle and she was flown to the Atlantic City Trauma Center, where she was treated and later released. Harris was treated on the scene for minor injuries and refused further medical care.
Harris was arrested for DWI and was brought to Southern Ocean Medical Center for a blood draw. Those toxicology results are still pending. He was also cited for Careless Driving, Failure to Stop, and Use of a Cell Phone.
Attorney contributor Guy D'Andrea helps people who have been injured by drunk drivers recover the financial compensation they deserve. Here are a few thoughts from Brian on the legal options available to people who have been hit by drunk drivers in New Jersey:
In New Jersey and most other states, people who have been injured by drunk drivers may have multiple options for seeking financial compensation. In all states, these victims may have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit against the drunk driver who injured them. Additionally, New Jersey is one of several states with dram shop laws, which allow alcohol vendors to be held liable for certain types of drunk driving injuries.
According to New Jersey’s dram shop law, alcohol vendors can be held liable for alcohol-related injuries caused by a customer if the vendor served alcohol to someone who was “visibly intoxicated” or who the vendor knew or reasonably should have known was under 21 years of age.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a crash with a drunk driver, you can learn more about your legal options by contacting an experienced drunk driving injury victims lawyer.