JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) - A New York City woman was driving drunk when she caused a chain reaction accident in New Jersey that critically injured a police officer, authorities said Tuesday.
Amandeep Tiwana, 27, of the Flushing section of Queens, initially was charged with assault by auto following the April 28 crash on Route 139 eastbound in Jersey City.
However, that charge was upgraded Tuesday when she was also charged with driving while intoxicated, according to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office. It’s not clear if she’s retained an attorney.
Authorities have said Tiwana’s vehicle was approaching an accident scene around 1 a.m. when it struck a road divider. The vehicle then hit a police cruiser and Peter Siano III, an officer with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police force.
Siano remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition, authorities said. Tiwana and two Jersey City police officers were treated at a hospital for minor injuries.
Authorities have said the police officers were securing the scene of the earlier crash and doing traffic control on the roadway, which leads into the Holland Tunnel.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.