SOUTH BRUNSWICK – Police charged a man with allegedly driving drunk while his young son was in the backseat of the vehicle.
When police officers arrived at the scene of a motor vehicle crash on Blackhorse Lane around 7:54 p.m. on Sept. 19, they reportedly found a grey Honda CR-V, driven by Melissa Caruso, 35, of Dayton, and a silver Dodge NXT, driven by Manan Patel, 39, of Monmouth Junction, in the middle of the roadway.
Officers investigating the crash were able to allegedly determine that Patel was turning right off Deans Lane onto Blackhorse Lane when he crossed over a double yellow line and struck Caruso’s vehicle head on, according to a statement prepared by the South Brunswick Police Department.
Patel allegedly failed several standardized field sobriety tests at the crash scene, according to police. He was transported to police headquarters. His 3-year-old son, who was in the vehicle at the time, reportedly did not suffer any injuries from the crash and was turned over to a family member at the scene, police said.
Patel was charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and endangering the welfare of a child. His vehicle was impounded and he was also issued numerous motor vehicle summonses. Patel was released pending his first court appearance, police said.
