6 Injured, Driver Charged With Drunk Driving In 2-Car Manchester Crash: Police

MANCHESTER, NJ — Six people were injured Saturday evening and a Robbinsville man was charged with driving drunk in a collision that shut down the intersection of Routes 571 and 70, Manchester police said.

John Paulino, 26, of Robbinsville, has been charged with driving while intoxicated in the crash that injured his passenger, Brenda Noriega-Pinzon, of Hamilton, as well as Helen Giagiari, 80, of Manchester, and her four passengers: Anna Troise, Rose Coppolino, Liberina Salzone and Janette Mohr, all of Manchester, Capt. Todd Malland said. Conditions for the injured were not released.

Paulino was driving a 2006 Volkswagen Passat east on Route 571 about 7:30 p.m. when he hit the front passenger’s side of Giagiari’s 2005 Chevy Malibu as she was turning left from Route 571 onto Route 70 westbound, Malland said. Paulino was arrested at the crash scene during the investigation on the suspicion of DWI, Malland said.

The force of the impact resulted multiple injuries, Malland said. Noriega-Pinzon, Paulino's passenger, and Troise and Coppolino, both of Manchester, were taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, with serious injuries. Giagiari and her other passengers, Salzone and Mohr, were taken to Community Medical Center with moderate injuries, he said. The road was closed for several hours while officers conducted the investigation and the scene was cleaned up, Malland said.

Assisting at the scene were investigators from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office and the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, as well as firefighters from both the Ridgeway and Manchester Volunteer fire departments. Also assisting were paramedics from MONOC and EMTs from Quality Medical Transport, officials said.

The crash remains under investigation by Patrolman Tom O’Hare of the Manchester Township Police Department Traffic Safety Unit.

Photos via Manchester Township Police Department