NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) - A man who was driving drunk with his two young children in his car rear-ended an SUV, which rolled over and caught fire, authorities said,
Christopher Mertens, 40, of Monmouth Junction, faces several counts, including aggravated assault, assault by auto and child endangerment, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office. It wasn’t known Monday if he’s retained an attorney.
Mertens was driving southbound on Route 1, near Route 130, in North Brunswick when the crash occurred shortly before 9 p.m. Saturday.
The SUV’s driver, a 19-year-old Chesterfield man, was being treated at a hospital for burns, while his passenger, a 21-year-old Suffern, New York woman, was treated at a hospital for undisclosed injuries.
Mertens’ two children were also taken to a hospital, but it wasn’t clear if they were injured in the crash or were taken there as a precaution. Mertens was not injured.
The accident remains under investigation.
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