By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
The driver of a dump truck that slammed into a Nissan Altima, pushing the car into Colonial Lake and killing its driver last week, has been charged with second-degree death by auto and several motor vehicle violations.
Daniel C. Everett, 38, of Westhampton, who was driving the dump truck, was also charged with driving under the influence (pending toxicology results), reckless driving, careless driving, failure to observe a traffic signal and operating a commercial motor vehicle without a proper license, according to police Lt. Joseph Amodio.
The accident occurred at 3:08 p.m. in the northbound lanes of Brunswick Pike at the intersection of Lake Drive. The dump truck struck the rear of the Nissan Altima, which was driven by 59-year-old James McLean of Trenton.
The impact pushed the car — which had stopped for a red traffic signal on Brunswick Pike — through the intersection and across the right-hand lane and into Colonial Lake. The truck came to rest on top of the car, which was fully submerged in about four to five feet of water near the bridge, Lt. Amodio said.
According to witness reports, Mr. Everett was driving erratically and traveling at a high rate of speed when the dump truck struck the sedan, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. Special services teams, emergency medical workers and hazmat crews from Trenton, Lawrence and Princeton worked for several hours to remove both vehicles from the lake.
The driver of the dump truck, which is owned by the Pemberton-based Scorer Trucking Co., was taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center by a Trenton EMS ambulance around 3:50 p.m. The dump truck was pulled out of the lake by a heavy-duty tow truck about an hour later.
Several divers from the Trenton Fire Department’s Rescue 1 unit waded into the murky water to locate the car so that it could be towed out of the lake. The mangled wreckage was pulled out of the water by a tow truck around 5:10 p.m.
Once the car was on land, first responders used cutting tools to extricate Mr. McLean from the car. It took about two hours to free him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
All three Lawrence Township volunteer fire companies responded, as well as the Trenton Fire Department’s Rescue 1 and hazardous materials units. Trenton firefighters placed a blue barrier near the wreckage to prevent fuel from spreading in the lake.
The accident was investigated by the Lawrence Township Police Department and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office’s Serious Collision Response Team.

