NEWS

Police: Alleged drunk driver injures Hanover cop

William Westhoven
@WWesthoven

HANOVER – A township policeman was injured when an alleged drunk driver crashed into his patrol car early Saturday morning on Route 287, according to department and New Jersey State Trooper sources.

Patrolman Robert Carpenter’s actions may have saved the life of two State Troopers, who also sustained minor injuries at the scene when they hopped the highway’s center divider to avoid the crash, according to Hanover Police Capt. Shawn Waldron and Sgt. Jeffrey Flynn of the New Jersey State Police.

“He’s home now, but he’s pretty banged up,” Waldron said Monday morning.

Carpenter had just arrived about 2 a.m. Saturday to assist State Troopers from the Netcong barracks with traffic at an accident scene on southbound Route 287 when his patrol vehicle was rear-ended by a 2012 Jeep Wrangler driven by Claudia Echeverri-Salazar, 29, of Morristown, according to the State Trooper report.

Carpenter had positioned his vehicle to provide further blockage of a two-vehicle accident scene taking up the left and center lanes when he saw Echeverri-Salazar’s 2012 Jeep Wrangler approaching him rapidly from behind, Waldron said.

Rather than drive out of the way, Carpenter braced for the impact, which destroyed the rear of his vehicle, resulting in back, shoulder and elbow injuries, Waldron said. He was taken to Morristown Medical Center for treatment, Flynn said.

“If he wasn’t there, you could speculate those Troopers could have been injured or killed,” Flynn said. “We are always grateful for assistance from local departments.”

“The original accident victims also were in the shoulder, and the officer knew it was a bit of a blind spot there,” Waldron added.

Echeverri-Salazar was charged by State Troopers with three counts of assault by auto and driving while intoxicated. She was released pending a court date.

The incident is under investigation, Flynn said.

Staff Writer William Westhoven: 973-428-6627; wwesthoven@GannettNJ.com.