Drunk Driving Kills Man in Edison Saturday Morning, Police Say

EDISON, NJ - A 22-year-old Edison Township man was killed after the car in which he was riding veered off the road and struck a tree early Saturday morning. The driver of that car, also from Edison, was charged with driving while intoxicated and death by auto.

The crash happened at 5 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 18 on Old Post Road near Preston Street.

Joel Patrone, 22, of Edison was pronounced dead at 5:54 a.m. at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where he was taken following the crash at 5:03 a.m. Two others in the car, the driver and another passenger, a 22-year-old Edison woman, also were hospitalized at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. The driver is listed in stable condition and the woman is listed in good condition.

The driver, Mandeep Singh, 21, of Edson, was charged with driving while intoxicated and death by auto. He remains in custody at this time.

The crash is being investigated by Sgt. Michael Carter of the Edison Police Department and Detective Donald Heck of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.

The criminal charges were filed after the investigation determined that Singh was intoxicated when he veered off of Old Post Road near Preston Street and struck the tree.

The investigation is active and is continuing. Anyone with information is asked to call Sgt. Carter of the Edison Police Department at (732) 248-7400 or Detective Heck of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-8842.