Parade grand marshal from 2012 charged with DWI in car crash

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Richard Smith, the Grand Marshal of this year’s Morris County St. Patrick’s Parade, has been charged with drunken driving and leaving the scene of an accident after crashing his vehicle earlier this month.

Morristown Police Patrol Officers Robert Iozzia and Carmen Caponegro were en route to investigate a reported hit-and-run involving a parked vehicle on Sunset Place on Aug. 10 when Morris Township Sgt. Stanley Witczak radioed that he had pulled over a vehicle with heavy front end damage at Rosemilt Place and Olmstead Road.

The Honda Pilot was missing a headlight and its horn was going off when Sgt. Witczak observed it approaching the township on Morris Avenue. Both air bags were deployed at the time of the 11:42 pm stop.

When Officer Iozzia arrived at the scene, Richard, 62, was standing on the sidewalk, “swaying back and forth.”  The officer asked him if he had been in the vicinity of Sunset Place and had crashed into any vehicles recently.

The Morris Township resident “advised me he had left the Sona 13 Bar in Morristown but could not recall if he was in the area of Sunset Place and thought he may have crashed into some type of object.”

The Honda’s windshield was cracked and Richard’s right hand was cut. Officer Iozzia reported that he smelled alcohol and arrested the motorist on a charge of driving while intoxicated. The Morristown Ambulance Squad came to the scene, and Officers Iozzia and Michael Molnar accompanied Richard to Morristown Medical Center, where he was treated, his blood was sampled, and he was released to his wife’s custody at 1 a.m. on Aug. 11.

Morristown police charged Richard with driving while intoxicated, careless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and failure to report an accident.

A municipal court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 24 in Morristown. Richard said he could not comment at this time, under advice of his lawyer, because the matter is pending in the legal system.

 

 

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