Crime & Safety

Witnesses Track Down Drunken Hit-and-Run Driver, Police Say

Passenger also charged with DWI after she attempted to move the vehicle while officers were giving driver sobriety tests, police said.

Witnesses to a hit-and-run crash tracked down the drunken driver who claimed she didn't know she was in an accident despite missing her bumper and heavy front-end damage to her minivan, Hopatcong Police said.

Allysen Vallianos, 40, of Budd Lake, was charged with DWI in a school zone, leaving the scene of an accident, reckless driving, careless driving and failure to report an accident.

The passenger of the vehicle, Janine Plunkett, 54, of Montvale, was also charged with DWI after she attempted to move the minivan while police were questioning Vallianos, Lt. Thomas Kmetz said.

According to Kmetz, Vallianos was involved in a motor vehicle crash at the intersection of Brooklyn Mountain Road and Durban Avenue on Sept. 20 shortly before 7 p.m.

She then drove away and was followed by witnesses to Durban Avenue School, Kmetz said.

Vallianos denied being in an accident, failed a field sobriety test and an alcotest determined she was more than twice the legal limit, Kmetz said.

While officers were giving sobriety tests to Vallianos, Plunkett began to back up the minivan, Kmetz said. She was ordered to stop and also failed a field sobriety test, Kmetz said.

The women were charged and released to a friend.


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