Accused Drunk Driver Charged In Crash That Killed Gloucester Twp. Woman: Report

ELK TOWNSHIP, NJ — The driver accused of being intoxicated when he crashed head-on into another car has been ordered released from jail ahead of trial on vehicular homicide charges, a report said.

Officials say Patrick M. Dunn of Harrisonville was driving while intoxicated the evening of November 1 when he hit a car driven by 56-year-old Amy Buchanan of Gloucester Township.

The crash happened on Ellis Mill Road near Gilman Lake before 7 p.m. that day, NJ Advance Media reported. Buchanan was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police arrested Dunn, 42, on suspicion of driving while intoxicated according to the NJ Advance Media report. On Monday, Superior Court Judge Christine Allen-Jackson ordered he report to court monthly while he awaits trial, the report said.

Gloucester County prosecutors argued he could pose a danger to the community; the court’s public safety assessment confirmed he had no criminal record and recommended his release, the report said.

Buchanan is survived by her sons Andrew and Joshua, and was predeceased by her husband Robert and her brother Brian, according to her obituary with Gardner Funeral Home. A visitation and memorial service took place last week.

“She always had a smile and encouragement to offer all,” the obituary reads. "Everyone was a precious soul to her.”