Drunk Driver Crashed Car, Fled Scene: Hackettstown Police

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ - A 50-year-old Mansfield woman cracked up up a couple cars and fled the scene drunk on Dec. 7, according to the Hackettstown Police Department.

According to authorities, shortly before 9 p.m. Hackettstown Police responded to Grand Avenue near Centenary University for a report of a silver van driving with flat tires.

Officers checked the area and were unable to locate the vehicle and then shortly before 9:15 p.m. police responded to Centenary University’s Founders Hall parking lot for a report of a motor vehicle crash.

An investigation determined that a silver Nissan minivan vehicle struck a parked Cadillac and this caused the Cadillac to be pushed into a Honda and the Honda was pushed into a Ford, and then the van fled the scene, police said.

Over two hours later, officers received information that the suspect’s vehicle was travelling on Center Street heading towards Centenary University and officers located the vehicle in the rear lot of Founders Hall, police said.

The driver, Suzanne Lepre, spoke to officers who detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from inside the vehicle, police said. Officers observed inside the vehicle empty airplane size bottles of Fireball Whiskey, police said.

Lepre was charged with driving while intoxicated, driving while suspended, failure to report a motor vehicle crash, leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash, open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle, careless driving and reckless driving, police said.

She was released pending a court appearance.

Thanks for reading! Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Have a news tip you'd like to share? Or maybe you have a press release you would like to submit or a correction you'd like to request? Send an email to russ.crespolini@patch.com

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading, or by visiting the Google Play store.