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William Andujar, 49, of Whiting, has been charged with aggravated assault and assault by auto, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.
The crash occurred in Berkeley Township on Nov. 2, Billhimer said.
Andujar also was charged with driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, careless driving, tailgating and several other motor vehicle violations, the prosecutor said.
Berkeley Township Police responded to a report of crash involving two motor vehicles near West Pinewald Keswick Road about 7 p.m. on Nov. 2.
An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Vehicular Homicide Unit and Berkeley Township Police Department found that Andujar, who was traveling westbound in a 2010 Honda CRV, rear-ended a 2003 Hyundai Elantra operated by Susan Ewing, 44, of South Toms River, Billhimer said.
The impact forced both vehicles off the roadway into a wooded area. Ewing, sustained serious injuries and was flown to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment. Ewing was subsequently discharged to a rehabilitation facility where she presently remains, he said.
Andujar was likewise taken to Jersey Shore Medical Center and a warrant was obtained for a draw of his blood. Laboratory results from the blood draw indicated that Andujar had a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .129 percent at the time his blood was drawn, the prosecutor said.
In New Jersey, an operator of a motor vehicle is presumed to be over the legal limit for purposes of alcohol consumption where his/her BAC is .08 or greater. The laboratory results also revealed a significant quantity of methadone in Andujar’s system, Billhimer said.
Andujar has been held in the Ocean County Jail since his arrest and is awaiting a detention hearing.
Billhimer thanked the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Vehicular Homicide Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Victim Witness Advocacy Unit, Berkeley Township Police Department, South Toms River Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, for their collaborative efforts.
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