Man Litters In Front of Edison Police Chief, Gets Arrested for Heroin, Police Report

Edison, NJ - A Sayreville man truly littered at the wrong place, at the wrong time Monday night when he threw an empty cigarette pack out his car window — not know the Edison Police Chief was driving behind him.

Edison Police Chief Tom Bryan said he was driving home from Monday night's Township Council meeting on Plainfield Avenue, headed towards Rt. 1 at about 9 p.m. That's when he when he noticed the Mercedes Benz in front of him, driving erratically.

But it wasn't until the Mercedes' driver abruptly swerved while throwing an empty cigarette pack out his car window that Chief Bryan decided to pull him over. Bryan was in an unmarked SUV and he activated the car's emergency lights. That's when the Mercedes suddenly veered into the oncoming lane and hit a tree near Seymour Street, police said.

Chief Bryan radioed for police backup and medical assistance to help the driver, John X. Thasites, 21, who had a bloody nose and facial bruises from his car's airbag. When officers John Cercatore and Michael Goldfarb arrived on the scene, they said Thasites told them he allegedly used a “bag of dope” before driving. Thasites admitted police would find a two empty glassine folds, used for heroin, in his wallet, the arresting officers said. Thasites was charged with driving under the influence, and possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia.

“It was an unusual evening, to say the least,” Bryan said. That's Chief Tom Bryan pictured below.

Thasites was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Medical Center in New Brunswick for his facial injuries. After that, he was arrested.

Photo: Morguefile