Rutherford NJ Fatal DWI ConvictionA Rutherford New Jersey man has been sentenced to serious prison time for driving while intoxicated and causing a fatal DWI crash in East Rutherford, NJ.

According to officials, the 24-year-old suspect was intoxicated when he got behind the wheel of a Lexus GS430 and hit the victim on August 22, 2013. The 28-year-old victim was a pedestrian walking along the sidewalk next to Railroad Avenue in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The suspect’s car reportedly knocked over a tree, as well as a street light and a wood utility pole before crashing into the victim. Bergen County prosecutors later said that the suspect’s vehicle was traveling at 57 miles per hour in a 25 mph zone.

Immediately after the accident, the victim was transported to Hackensack University Medical Center with head injuries. Doctors at the hospital pronounced her dead two days later. The victim was a young mother with four boys at the time of her death.

When police conducted a test of the suspect’s blood, they allegedly found that his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was .198 percent, more than double the legal limit of just .08 percent in New Jersey.

In April 2015, the suspect pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter charges. When entering his guilty plea in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack, the suspect admitted that he had consumed several mixed drinks before causing the fatal DWI accident.

Now the suspect has received a sentence of 5 years in New Jersey State Prison.

When appearing in Bergen County Superior Court for formal sentencing, the suspect apologized to the victim’s family. However, the superior court judge told the suspect that his apology was far too late.

The harsh sentence includes a requirement that the suspect serve a minimum of four years and two months in prison before he is eligible for release on parole.

For additional information about this case, see the CliffviewPilot.com article entitled “Rutherford DWI Driver Gets 5 Years in Death of Carlstadt Mother of Four.”