Belleville Crash Near Route 21 Results In DWI Charges

BELLEVILLE, NJ — Belleville police charged a Jersey City man with DWI and aggravated assault with an auto after a crash near Route 21 last month, authorities say.

According to the Belleville Police Department, officers responded to a report of a motor vehicle accident near Main and Terry streets around 2:29 a.m. on Sept. 17 to find a BMW with heavy front-end damage and a Nissan pushed of the ramp.

The driver of the Nissan suffered ankle injuries in the crash, police said.

The driver of the BMW was not with the vehicle when police arrived. He was later found walking in a lane of traffic on Route 21, authorities said.

While taking the man – later identified as Joel Araujo, 28, of Jersey City - back to the scene of the accident, the officers allegedly smelled the “strong odor of an alcoholic beverage.”

Police charged Araujo with DWI, aggravated assault with an auto and being an unlicensed driver. He also had an outstanding $300 warrant from Newark.

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