New Jersey State Police report that a 31-year-old Sussex County man driving a pickup truck repeatedly ran into a tractor-trailer truck on March 4. The incident occurred on Route 287 around 2:15 p.m.
There were no reported injuries following the accident. Troopers said the pickup truck driver appeared to be under the influence, though they did not indicate what these signs of impairment were.
When troopers searched the man's pickup truck, they allegedly found prescription pills as well as a straw that contained what they believed be drug residue. It was not known if the pills had been legitimately prescribed to the man. Authorities took the pickup truck driver into custody and charged him with possession of drug paraphernalia and DWI.
Although more people may be accused of driving under the influence of alcohol, some are accused of driving under the influence of drugs. Even individuals who drive under the influence of legitimate prescription drugs could face drunk driving charges, particularly if they know that the pills could affect their operation of vehicles.
Defendants of DWI could fight the charges by demonstrating that they did not know that the medications could cause such a reaction or that the medications were not responsible for their behavior. Sometimes, individuals appear drunk or otherwise impaired because they are sleep-deprived or have a health condition that affects their behavior. Someone accused of DWI might request a lawyer to help them gather evidence and represent them in court.
Source: NJ.com, "Truck driver charged with DWI, drug paraphernalia after Route 287 crash into tractor-trailer," Justin Zaremba, March 5, 2015
Tags: Drunk Driving Charges