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22-Year-Old CT Man Charged In NJ Crash That Seriously Injured 2 Passengers

A 22-year-old Connecticut man is facing multiple assault charges following a crash that seriously injured two passengers in New Jersey last year.

Kearny PD

Kearny PD

Photo Credit: Kearny Police

Daniel Leal Jr., of Meriden, CT, was arrested on Friday, Dec. 2, in connection to a crash that happened in Kearny in October 2021, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced.

Police responded to the crash near the Route 7 and Harrison Avenue split at about 4:10 a.m. on Oct. 19, 2021, after receiving reports that a vehicle struck a parked tractor-trailer, Suarez reported. 

The four occupants of the 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer were taken to University Hospital in Newark, including a 19-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man, both residents of Passaic, who had suffered critical injuries, the report said.

Leal, who was a resident of Garfield at the time, and a second 20-year-old Passaic man, suffered non-life-threatening injuries, Suarez said.

Investigators found that Leal was under the influence at the time of the crash, and a revolver was found in the trunk of the Mitsubishi, according to the announcement.

Suarez said Leal was charged with:

  • Two counts of second-degree aggravated assault
  • Two counts of third-degree assault by auto while driving under the influence (resulting in serious bodily injury) 
  • Fourth-degree assault by auto while driving under the influence (resulting in bodily injury) 
  • Second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon 

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