Colonia Man, 27, Killed By Drunk Driver In New England Crash: PD

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — A Colonia man was killed by a woman driving under the influence Tuesday afternoon on I-95 in New Hampshire, according to New Hampshire State Police.

The man has been identified as Michael Hoffman, 27, of Colonia.

At the time of the crash, Hoffman was a passenger in a 2016 Jeep Wrangler, driven by another Colonia man, 29. Two more men, from Colonia and Keyport, were in the Jeep; the Jeep had four occupants total.

The fatal crash occurred at 12:09 p.m. July 6: Troopers with New Hampshire State Police responded to a 911 call of a serious motor vehicle crash on I-95 south in the town of Seabrook.

Troopers say that a 2020 Subaru Outback, driven by Sue Sargent, 66, of Eliot, Maine was traveling northbound in lane three when her car started to drift to the left. Her car crossed into lane four, sideswiping a 2019 Toyota Sienna.

The Sienna was driven by a 50-year-old Massachusetts woman, who had two passengers with her, one of which was a boy. All were uninjured.

However, after sideswiping that first car, Sargent's car continued drifting to the left and crossed the center median, crossing over into the southbound lanes of I-95, said State Police. That was when it crashed head-on with the Jeep.

The impact of the head-on collision caused Hoffman to be ejected from the Jeep, resulting in serious, life-threatening injuries. He was transported to the ER of the Portsmouth Regional Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased.

The other three men in the car were also taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

The force of the impact caused the Jeep to roll over and come to rest upside down, on its roof, on the side of the highway. The Subaru broke down at that point and stopped in the middle of the southbound lanes of the interstate.

Sargent was transported to the Portsmouth Regional Hospital for treatment of serious injuries she sustained. While talking to her in the hospital, State Police placed Sargent under arrest and charged her with aggravated driving while under the influence.

"Although physical impairment appears to be a contributing factor, all aspects of this crash remain under investigation," said State Police in a statement.

She was released on personal recognizance bail and left in the care of the hospital for medical treatment. An arraignment date in the Rockingham Superior Court will be determined when she gets out of the hospital.

The crash closed I-95 south through New Hampshire for five hours Tuesday. Read the full press release from New Hampshire State Police here: https://www.nhsp.dos.nh.gov/ne...

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