New Jersey Trooper Charged with Drunk Driving after Allamuchy Township Accident
As a Monmouth County car accident lawyer, I have been very encouraged at the sharp decline in alcohol-related car crashes here, and around the state of New Jersey. Our law enforcement officers have had a lot to do with cracking down harder on impaired driving, especially during major holidays. This Christmas and New Year’s holiday too has had New Jersey police making serious efforts to keep intoxicated drivers off the road. That’s why it’s more than a little disappointing to read about a state trooper who has been charged with drunk driving after an accident in Allamuchy Township. The trooper Sergeant Steve Pelligra has been suspended while investigation continues. On the day of accident he was off duty and driving his pick up truck on route 157, when the truck crashed into another car. According to police, Pelligra left the scene of the accident, and also refused to submit to an alcohol test.
Earlier this month, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood had launched a nationwide crackdown on drunk driving over the holidays. Secretary LaHood had high praise for states like NJ that managed to enforce drunk driving rules harder, thereby keeping impaired drivers off roads, and minimizing fatalities. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nationwide there has been a decline of 7 percent in alcohol-related car crash fatalities. This has been the result of increased statewide crackdowns. In New Jersey, we had a dramatic drop of 19 percent in alcohol related auto accident deaths from 2007 to 2008. While we lost 201 people in drunk driving crashes in 2007, that number had dropped to 154 the following year.
Those are very encouraging statistics, and we need to keep the momentum going. It would really help if our law enforcement officers set an example for the state.
Scott Grossman is a Monmouth County car accident lawyer representing injured victims of car crashes in Freehold, Marlboro, Howell, Manalapan, Aberdeen and around Monmouth County.
