Hackettstown Police: Man Charged For Leaving His Car In A Stream

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ — A Budd Lake resident has been charged by the Hackettstown Police Department for multiple offenses, including leaving the scene of an accident, after abandoning his car in a stream.

Sgt. Darren Tynan said the department has charged Damian Plewa, 35, with also driving with an expired license, failure to report an accident and careless driving. Plewa told police his Honda ended up in a stream off of Miller Street on July 7, to allegedly avoid hitting a deer.

Tynan estimated that Plewa had left his car at about 8 a.m. that day, but said officers caught up with him at around noon on Willow Grove Street at Alumni Field’s entrance. When police found him there, Tynan said he “appeared to be lethargic and exhibited signs of suspected CDS use."

Before police learned of his car, they charged him for being under the influence, then he was taken by ambulance to Hackettstown Medical Center.

It was almost three hours after finding him at Alumni Park that police received the call about Plewa’s Honda, Tynan said. Hackettstown Police had his vehicle towed out of the stream.

Tynan said Plewa has been released and is scheduled for a court appearance.

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