Drunken Driver Hits Rock Wall, Swaps Seats with Intoxicated Passenger, Cops Say

Two men were arrested after one of them drove intoxicated and hit a rock wall in the Mount Tabor section of town on Sunday night, Parsippany Police said.

Javier Fajardo, 24, and Alfredo Guartan, 41, both of East Elmhurst, N.Y., were arrested and brought to police headquarters. Guartan was issued a summons for driving while intoxicated and Fajardo was issued summonses for driving while intoxicated, unlicensed driver, leaving the scene of an accident, reckless driving and for a motor vehicle causing property damage, Parsippany Police said.

Officers Matthew McAuliffe and Robert Appel arrived in the area of Simpson Avenue and Whitfield Place at about 7:30 p.m., police said.

Appel stopped a blue van at Sommerfield Avenue and Strowbridge Road and McAuliffe joined him. Both officers spoke to the people in the van and along with witness accounts, they determined the two men were intoxicated while driving the van, according to a release from Ptl. Remo D’Alessandro, community relations officer.

Fajardo was driving when he hit the rock wall and then the two men switched places and Guartan was driving when Appel stopped the van, according to the release.

“Guartan stated that he started driving after the crash because Mr. Fajardo was drunk. An open bottle of liquor was observed near the driver’s seat and neither” said the bottle was theirs, police said.

Both men were later released from custody pending their court appearances.