Crime & Safety

Drunk Driver Pins Man Against Guide Rail, Cops Say

Sparta woman charged with assault by auto, DWI and careless driving.

A Sparta man was struck and pinned into a guide rail by an alleged drunk driver Sunday night on Seneca Lake Road, police said.

Charlene Myers, 40, a Seneca Lake Road resident, was charged with DWI, careless driving and fourth-degree assault by auto.

According to a report released by Sparta Sgt. John-Paul Beebe, Myers was under the influence of alcohol when she struck a utility tractor that pinned Salvatore Pietropinto, 63, against a guide rail by his home Sunday at about 7:15 p.m. Pietropinto was cleaning debris from Superstorm Sandy near the roadway at the time of the accident, the report said.

Find out what's happening in Hopatcong-Spartawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Police and the Sparta Fire Department were able to extricate Pietropinto from the guide rail, the report said. He was then was airlifted from the Mohawk Avenue School to Morristown Medical Center, the report said.

Pietropinto was in the middle of cleaning debris from Sandy off his property when Myers crashed her 2011 Black Jeep into Pietropinto's parked Bobcat utility tractor, the report said. 

Find out what's happening in Hopatcong-Spartawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to the report, the impact of the crash pushed the tractor into Pietropinto and pinned him between the guide rail and tractor.

Pietropinto was treated for blunt trauma and lacerations to his legs, and was released later that night from the hospital, the report said.

Myers failed a series of sobriety tests at the scene and was arrested and transported to police headquarters for processing and breath testing, according to the report. She was later released to a sober adult several hours later, the report said.

Sparta Police, Sparta Fire Department and Sparta Volunteer First Aid Squad all assisted at the scene, the report said.

Officer Joseph Antonello and Det. Keith Hannam are currently investigating the incident, and additional charges are pending, according to the report.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.