Hommy Colon, 40, also was charged with DWI, as well as aggravated assault by auto for injuries sustained in Tuesday’s crash by 42-year-old passenger Tywuan Lopez, 42, also of Paterson, Detective Sgt. Matthew Hoogmoed said.
The four-door 2005 Nissan Sentra crashed into the side of Bella Fig on Lincoln Avenue shortly before 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, taking down a street sign, damaging a gas meter and narrowly missing a fire hydrant.
Responding Hawthorne police officers saw Colon and Lopez flee into a home in the 100 block of Passaic Avenue, Hoogmoed said.
Lopez emerged and surrendered, the sergeant said, adding that Colon had to be taken into custody.
A search of the Sentra turned up several capped and uncapped needles, six baggies of crack, two heroin folds and some pot, Hoogmoed said.
Both men were taken to the Passaic County Jail to await a detention hearing in Central Judicial Processing Court in Paterson.
Boyd A. Loving took the photos and contributed to this account.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Parsippany-Troy Hills and receive free news updates.