Berkeley Heights Man Arrested after Accident

said they arrested a man from Berkeley Heights during the early morning hours Monday.

At approximately 12:09 a.m. Monday, Patrolmen Daryle Kelly and Richard Jaremba responded to a one-car crash on Main Street and Fairmount Avenue, police said.

The officers found a 2003 Nissan Pathfinder had crashed into a wall at Rotary Park, according to a police statement released Monday.

The driver, John Sommese, 45, of Berkeley Heights, told police he thought he was on Springfield Avenue in Berkeley Heights, police said, but in fact he was on Fairmount Avenue.

According to police, Sommese drove through the intersection at Fairmount Avenue and Main Street, drove over the curb, through some bushes and struck a wooden fence before coming to rest on a rock retaining wall.

The responded to the scene, but Sommese refused mesical attention, police said.

As Kelly prepared to administer a field sobriety test, Sommese ran away down Elmwood Avenue, according to police.

Using a thermal imaging device and personnel from the , the suspect was located in a yard on Elmwood Avenue, police said.

As a result of this incident, Sommese was charged with the following, according to information by police:

• Driving while intoxicated
• reckless driving
• leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident
• failure to keep right
• possession of under 50 grams of marijuana (marijuana cigarette found in ashtray)
• possession of CDS paraphernalia (pipe and rolling papers found on his person)

Sommese was processed and released to a family member pending further court action, according to police.