Seven Charged With DUI In South Brunswick

South Brunswick police arrested seven people on DUI charges, a little more than a week into the “Drive Sober or Be Pulled Over” campaign.

Those arrests include two drivers who caused crashes that injured five people, according to a news release from Capt. James Ryan. A third driver was charged after police say she was found sitting in traffic, asleep in her car, which was missing a wheel.

The campaign began on Aug. 21 and will continue until Sept. 7, with additional officers searching for impaired drivers, according to the news release.

“We have over 100 hours of dedicated enforcement. Our focus is to have a safe end of the summer by increasing awareness and enforcement”, Chief Raymond Hayducka said in a prepared statement.

Police provided the following summaries of the cases:

• Shane Griffin, 21, of Milltown was charged Monday with driving under the influence. At 3:51 a.m. Griffin was driving a 2000 Mercury Mountaineer on Georges Road near Crossroads North Middle School when he ran off the road and struck a utility pole and a mailbox. Griffin was arrested by Officer Jamal Benbow. The Milltown man was released with summonses pending his first court appearance.
• Four people visiting from Canada were injured after their vehicle was rear-ended at 3:58 a.m. Saturday by a 2007 Mazda. Evan Tschabold, 20, of East Brunswick was driving on Route 1 north when his Mazda crashed into a Dodge Caravan carrying the Canadians. An investigation by Officer Gagan Chopra found that Tschabold was speeding at 75 mph when he looked down at the Google map on his phone and hit the other vehicle. He was arrested and charged with DUI and careless driving. He was released on a summons pending his first court appearance. The Canadians were transported to a local hospital for treatment and released.
• A 31-year-old Georgia man was arrested on a charge of DUI after a crash on Route 535 (Cranbury – South River Road) on Saturday. At 12:40 a.m. Bodi Fan was heading north on Route 535 in his 2015 Kia when he crossed over into the southbound lanes and struck a 2003 Buick being driven by a 54-year-old Trenton man. The Trenton man was taken to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Fan was arrested by Officer Donald Whicker and charged with DUI, careless driving and failure to maintain a lane. He was released on a summons pending his first court appearance.
• A 42-year-old Marlboro man was arrested on a DUI charge on Aug. 27 after he was pulled over in the Double Tree Hotel parking lot. Officer Bryan Sites observed a white Porsche driving erratically in the hotel parking lot. The officer went to stop the vehicle and the driver mistakenly put the vehicle in reverse and almost struck the patrol car. The driver, Bhaumik Kaushik, was observed to have watery bloodshot eyes and a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath. He explained to the officer his erratic driving was the result of trying to find a parking spot. Bhaumik was arrested after field sobriety tests were administered. He was issued several motor vehicle summonses including DUI and careless driving. He was released pending his first court appearance.
• A 39-year-old Princeton man was arrested on a DUI charge after he was pulled over on Aug. 23. At 11:40 p.m. Handeep Patel was stopped on Route 522 after police say he was speeding. An investigation by Officer Gagan Chopra determined that Patel had been drinking alcohol. Patel was arrested after field sobriety tests were administered. He was charged with reckless driving, DUI, speeding, and failure to maintain a lane. He was released pending his first court appearance.
• A 28-year-old Manalapan woman was arrested on a charge of DUI on Aug. 22 after police say she was found asleep in traffic. Officer Martin Halmi observed Patrizia Cuccia asleep in her 2009 Toyota on Route 535 at Ridge Road. The Toyota was missing a rear wheel. Cuccia indicated that she had no idea where she lost her tire and said she was just trying to get home. She was arrested after field sobriety tests were administered. She was charged with reckless driving and DUI. She was released pending her first court appearance.
• A 23-year-old North Brunswick man was arrested on a charge of DUI after police say they stopped him for speeding on Aug. 21. Hemrajani Rahul was in his 2014 Acura on Route 1 south at 12:30 a.m. when he was stopped by Officer Ricardo Moreira. Rahul was arrested after field sobriety tests were administered. He was charged with reckless driving, DUI, and speeding. He was released pending his first court appearance.