A man who caused a fatal car accident in Roxbury NJ while under the influence of powerful prescription medication was recently sentenced to 5 years in state prison.
According to prosecutors, the 29-year-old suspect was high on Ambien, as well as anti-anxiety medication, when he drove his Subaru wagon on Route 46 in Roxbury, NJ. The deadly crash occurred in June 2014.
When the suspect lost control of his car, he struck a sign on North Frontage Road before quickly merging back onto Route 46 and then crossing over into oncoming traffic. The suspect ended up hitting the 28-year-old victim, a Roxbury man who was walking on the sidewalk as he went to his job at a nearby gas station.
The suspect’s vehicle rolled over several times before hitting a tree and then coming to a stop.
Meanwhile, the victim died due to injuries sustained in the crash.
The suspect later said that he had taken an Ambien, a powerful sleeping pill, before the accident. The suspect also reportedly took a high dosage of anti-anxiety medication before getting behind the wheel of his car.
The suspect was a recovering heroin addict who was reportedly nervous about starting a new job at a Succasunna NJ ShopRite grocery store.
In April 2015, nearly one year after the deadly accident, the suspect pleaded guilty to charges of vehicular homicide and driving under the influence (DUI).
The suspect recently made an appearance in Morris County Superior Court in Morristown NJ for his sentencing hearing. The superior court judge sentenced the suspect to serve 5 years in New Jersey State Prison. Moreover, the suspect will have to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.
In addition to issuing the prison sentence, the judge also revoked the suspect’s license for 10 years.
When handing down the sentence, the judge observed that the suspect has two previous convictions for driving while intoxicated (DWI) in New Jersey.
To learn more about this case, check out the DailyRecord.com article entitled “Impaired Driver Gets 5 Years for Killing Roxbury Pedestrian.”
