Town Topics
4 July, 1984

Drunk Driver

Geoffrey F. Peters, 33, 76 Battle Road, was charged with driving while intoxicated and careless driving after he lost control of his pickup truck early last Tuesday morning on Stockton Street and struck a tree and a fence.

His 1977 truck, which suffered extensive front end damage and was listed a total loss, struck a tree 122 feet from Edgehill Street and demolished a 10-foot section of wooden fence in front of 80 Stockton Street. Police found 88 feet of skid marks on the roadway.

Mr. Peters was taken by the Princeton First Aid Squad ambulance to Princeton Medical Center following the 1:17 a.m. accident, where he was admitted for treatment of lacerations of the head.

When Ptl. Bernard Lenhardt arrived on the scene, he noticed that the motor compartment of the truck was on fire from the impact. He observed that the driver, who was outside the truck, was bleeding from several head wounds and he detected a strong odor of alcohol.

At the emergency room in the hospital, Mr. Peters told Lenhardt that he didn’t know anything about any accident. Police requested doctors remove two vials of blood from the victim.

Thursday morning at his home after he had been discharged from the hospital, Mr. Peters was interviewed again by Ptl. Lenhardt. He admitted to the officer that he had been drinking and was mad about a personal matter.

“I was driving fast. Then I would hit the brakes to slide. I did that several times. Then I lost control of my truck. I couldn’t hold it and hit the tree.

“I knew I was drunk from the way I was driving.”