2 Recent Crashes Due To Drunk Driving: South Brunswick Police

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — Two recent motor vehicle crashes in South Brunswick were alcohol-related, Police Chief Raymond Hayducka said.

In the first of two recent crashes, Tanan Chansathit,38, of East Brunswick was driving northbound on Route 1 in a 2019 Acura and was approaching Blackhorse Lane, when he struck a 2015 Honda driven by a 28-year-old East Brunswick woman that was stopped in traffic at a red traffic signal, police said. No injuries were reported but Chansathit was found to be under the influence of alcohol and was charged with driving while intoxicated.

In a separate alcohol-related crash, Mazhar Syed, 54 of Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, was traveling northbound on Route 130 in a 2011 BMW and was approaching Route 522, when he struck a 2018 Honda operated by a 54-year-old Pennsylvania man stopped at a traffic signal. The Honda was then pushed forward into the rear of a 2016 Honda driven by a Dayton man, also stopped in traffic, police said. The two victims were taken to the hospital with injuries, and Syed was charged with driving while intoxicated.

In response to the two crashes, Hayducka has reminded residents that December is recognized as National Drunk and Drug-Impaired Driving Prevention Month and that the South Brunswick Police Department is engaged in national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over traffic enforcement details.

“Impaired driving is a huge problem, and typically gets worse during the holiday season,” Hayducka said.

“The South Brunswick Police Department is committed to making a difference in keeping the roadways safe for travelers, and our officers are diligently looking for unsafe drivers of all types, including impaired drivers. Through this concerted effort, we hope to make a difference and to save lives.”

The South Brunswick Police Department will be cracking down on drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs as part of the annual end-of-year “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” statewide campaign, through Jan.1, 2022.

The campaign hopes to raise awareness of the dangers of impaired driving through a combination of high-visibility enforcement and public education. During the last five years, New Jersey has experienced more than 35,000 alcohol-involved crashes resulting in 618 fatalities.

Last year, 23 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities in New Jersey were alcohol-related, officials said.

Here's some advice for the holiday season:

• Take mass transit, a taxicab, or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
• Spend the night where the activity or party is held.
• If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may save someone’s life, and inaction could cost a life.
• Always buckle-up, every ride. It’s your best defense against an impaired driver.
• If you are intoxicated and traveling on foot, the safest way to get home is to take a cab or have a sober friend or family member drive or escort you to your doorstep.
• Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel.

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