Montgomery Police Blotter: Brush Fire, Route 206 Crash, DWI Arrest

Montgomery Township Police Department Press Release

MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP — Montgomery Township Police reported a series of incidents over the past week, including a wooded-area fire off Princeton Avenue, a two-vehicle crash that knocked down a traffic signal on Route 206, and a late-night DWI arrest.

Brush Fire Burns One Acre Near Walking Path
On November 18 at approximately 10 p.m., Montgomery Police, Montgomery Fire Companies 1 and 2, Montgomery EMS, and the Rocky Hill Fire Company responded to Princeton Avenue for a reported fire in the woods along the walking path behind Kingsway Commons, police said.

First responders found an active fire burning in the wooded area along the path that connects Princeton Avenue and Wall Street. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service and several neighboring fire departments were called in to assist.

The fire was ultimately extinguished, but not before it burned an area of roughly one acre, according to police. No injuries were reported.

Route 206 Crash Topples Traffic Signal, Driver Issued Summonses
On November 20 at about 4:50 p.m., Montgomery Police and Montgomery EMS responded to a motor vehicle crash at Route 206 and Sunset Road.

Police said a 2011 Chevrolet operated by a 19-year-old Hamilton man was traveling south on Route 206 without headlights illuminated when it struck a 2002 Toyota driven by a 68-year-old Skillman man. The Toyota was turning left onto Sunset Road from Route 206 north at the time of the crash.

The impact caused the Chevrolet to collide with a traffic signal, knocking the signal down into the roadway. Montgomery EMS evaluated both drivers at the scene and transported the Chevrolet driver to Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center in Plainsboro for a head injury, police said.

The Chevrolet driver was issued motor vehicle summonses for failing to have headlights when required and careless driving. Both vehicles were towed from the scene.

The New Jersey Department of Transportation responded to repair the damaged signal. The intersection was closed for several hours while crews worked to restore it, according to police.

Somerset Resident Charged With DWI After Early-Morning Stop
In the early morning hours of November 22, Officer LaRue of the Montgomery Township Police Department conducted a motor vehicle stop on Route 206 after observing a northbound vehicle failing to maintain its lane, police said.

The stop occurred at approximately 3:01 a.m. Police identified the driver as a 32 year old resident of Somerset.

While speaking with the driver, Officer LaRue determined that the individual had consumed alcoholic beverages prior to driving, according to the report. The driver was placed under arrest and transported to Montgomery Township Police Headquarters for processing.

The driver was issued motor vehicle summonses for driving while intoxicated, careless driving, reckless driving, and failure to maintain lane, and was released pending a scheduled appearance in Montgomery Municipal Court. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Photo Credit: Daniel Tadevosyan/shutterstock.com