Man In Hazlet Parkway Crash Lied, Said He Had Coronavirus: PD

HAZLET, NJ — A Carteret man who State Police say was driving under the influence on Friday — and caused a crash on the Parkway — was also charged with falsely telling state troopers he had the coronavirus to try and avoid being taken into custody, said police.

This happened Friday, March 27 on the Garden State Parkway southbound through Hazlet, at milepost 118.6, according to Trooper Alejandro Goez.

State Police say Travis Urban, 30, of Carteret, became involved in an accident with another car; no injuries were reported. Troopers determined that Urban was under the influence and he was arrested and charged with DWI.

However, the New Jersey Attorney General said Urban told officers at the scene he had the coronavirus to try to avoid being taken into custody. It is not known what exactly he said.

He was additionally charged with obstruction and hindering apprehension/prosecution. Urban was released pending a court date.

Additionally, a week prior to that, on March 21, David Haley, 52, was arrested in Perth Amboy after he threw bodily fluids at a police officer and claimed to be infected with coronavirus, said the Middlesex County prosecutor's office. He was charged with second-degree terroristic threats.

“Our police officers are going above and beyond the call of duty during this health crisis. Unfortunately, they are being called upon far too often to deal with people violating the orders put in place to protect us all — or what is more egregious, people falsely using the coronavirus to spread fear or impede officers in their vital work,” said Attorney General Gurbir Grewal on Monday.