BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP
Staff Writer
NORTH BRUNSWICK — A township councilman-elect charged in a hit-and-run accident will wait to have his day in court.
Ralph Andrews, 53, who won election to the Township Council Nov. 2, was scheduled to appear at the North Brunswick Municipal Court at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 10 to face charges of reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and failure to report an accident after an Oct. 3 accident near his home.
Andrews, who reportedly crashed his Lexus into a parked van on McAuliffe Drive at 3:02 a.m., has a rescheduled court appearance at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 15, according to the Municipal Court Administrator’s Office.
Personnel in the Court Administrator’s Office said Municipal Court Judge James Hurley did not hear the Andrews case last week, but did not speculate on reasons why.
Court Administrator Cheryl Rossman could not be reached for comment, as she is attending the League of Municipalities in Atlantic City this week.
Phone calls to Andrews’ residence regarding the court appearance also went unanswered.
According to police reports, Andrews lost control of his black Lexus and struck a 1999 Chrysler van parked on McAuliffe Drive. The impact of the crash reportedly caused the van to strike a 1991 Infiniti G20, pushing it 100 feet forward into the intersection of McAuliffe Drive and Park Place.
After responding to neighbors’ reports of the crash, North Brunswick Township Police followed a trail of fluids from the point of impact to Andrews’ residence on Park Place, a cul-de-sac off McAuliffe Drive, according to police reports.
A witness told police Andrews parked his vehicle in the driveway, exited the vehicle, and entered his residence after the accident, according to police reports.
Reporting officers matched the damage to Andrews’ vehicle with the damage done to the van and made several attempts to contact Andrews, according to police reports.
Police reports said officers knocked on Andrews’ front door and made telephone contact with his daughter, but they did not contact him that morning.
Lt. Roger Reinson said police did not have authorization to enter Andrews’ home and followed correct police procedures in investigating the accident.
The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office conducted an independent review of police actions during the incident and reported on Oct. 15 that police followed correct procedures, according to Police Director Kenneth McCormick. McCormick said he also reviewed the matter and “felt everything was done properly.”
Andrews’ statement regarding the accident, released to the press Oct. 4, did not include his whereabouts prior to the accident. In the statement Andrews said, “In retrospect, I can clearly see that the better course would have been to immediately call the police and to wake my neighbors up at the time of the collision.”
If convicted, Andrews could face maximum penalties of $1,450 in fines, 240 days in jail, and the loss of his driver’s license and registration, according to police.