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Jean Carlos Lizardo, 29, was behind the wheel of a Honda Accord that witnesses said slammed head-on into a Dodge Challenger at the corner of Mola Boulevard and Elmwood Drive shortly before 6 p.m. Friday, May 3.
The sedan hit several other vehicles, leaving a swath of damage and debris -- including the Honda's engine -- that measured nearly 100 yards from one side of Elmwood Drive to the other.
Firefighters had to extricate one of the drivers, who Elmwood Park Police Chief Michael Foligno said was one of three victims taken to Hackensack University Medical Center with minor injuries.
Lizardo, who lives in town roughly a mile from the crash scene, was arrested by borough police and brought to headquarters.
He was charged with driving while intoxicated -- with a blood-alcohol level twice the legal limit -- and issued several motor vehicle summonses before being released to a responsible adult under John's Law, the chief said.
Responders included members of the Bergen County Prosecutor's Fatal Accident Investigations Unit and the county sheriff's Bureau of Criminal Identification, which collected evidence, Foligno said.
Multiple tow trucks had to be called to remove the vehicles.
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