Cops: Mount Olive man killed by drunk driver

SPARTA – A township woman is facing a vehicular homicide charge after a fatal car accident in which she was driving while intoxicated when she crashed into another vehicle, police said.

At 11:06 p.m. Tuesday, Cpl. Adam Carbery was traveling south on Route 15 when he saw a white 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee traveling the wrong way northbound in his lane of travel.

After taking evasive action and avoiding a head-on collision, Carbery turned around into the northbound lanes in order to pursue this vehicle and attempt to stop it.

The Jeep continued northbound in the southbound lanes, and before any Sparta patrol was able to catch up to the vehicle, it struck a 1998 Toyota Corolla head-on, police said.

The driver of the Toyota Corolla, Robert J. Hunter III, 22, of the Flanders section of Mount Olive, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the Jeep, Teresa Verbout, 50, of Sparta, suffered serious injuries to her lower extremities. She was flown to Morristown Medical Center for treatment. Her condition was not available Wednesday night.

An investigation into the crash is still underway, but Verbout has been charged with vehicular homicide and driving while intoxicated, police said.

Sparta police were assisted at the crash site and in the investigation by the State Police, the Sussex County Prosecutor's Office and the Medical Examiner's Office.