Manchester Woman Charged With DWI In Route 9 Crash

BERKELEY, NJ — A 20-year-old woman was charged with driving while intoxicated after crashing into a utility pole early Monday morning, police said.

At 1:45 a.m., Berkeley Township police responded to the area of Hickory Lane and Route 9 for a report of a single-car crash.

Lea Mayer of Whiting was driving north on Route 9 when she hit a utility pole at the corner of Route 9 and Buckley Lane, police said. The utility pole was severed from the base and pushed into Buckley Lane.

The crash also caused a power surge that shut down three traffic lights on Route 9 at Korman Road, Iger Way and Station Road, police said.

Route 9 was detoured in both north and south directions. The crash also knocked out power for about 1,500 homes in Berkeley, according to Jersey Central Power & Light.

Mayer was charged with driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, careless driving, failure to maintain lane and failure to produce a required document (insurance card). Mayer was later released.

No injuries were reported as a result of the crash, police said.

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