By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
WEST WINDSOR — A 31-year-old Plainsboro woman, who was standing next to her parked car on Clarksville Road, was seriously injured when she was struck by another car that veered off the road and plowed into her shortly before 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon, according to the West Windsor Township Police Department.
The driver of the car that struck Jyotsna Chopra Khanna was charged with driving while intoxicated, assault by auto and related motor vehicle violations, police said. Clarksville Road was closed for about 90 minutes while police investigated the accident.
Ms. Khanna had parked her family’s 2010 Toyota RAV4 on the shoulder of Clarksville Road, near Cranbury Road, and was standing next to it on the driver’s side, police said. The sport utility vehicle was parked well off the roadway, on the southbound shoulder.
As Ms. Khanna stood next to her vehicle, a 2013 Honda CRV sport utility vehicle, driven by Charles W. Spence Jr., 43, of Plainsboro, that was also headed south, left the roadway and struck her and her vehicle, police said. The impact caused the Honda to overturn. It came to rest upright on its tires.
Ms. Khanna suffered serious injuries to her head, shoulder and leg, and was taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center’s trauma center. Her injuries were determined to be non-life threatening, police said. Ms. Khanna’s 4-year-old child, who was in a child-restraint seat in the rear of their vehicle, was not injured.
Mr. Spence was also taken to Capital Health Regional Medical Center for treatment of cuts to his head and hands. His 6-year-old child was in a child-restraint seat, and was not injured, police said.
Mr. Spence was charged with driving while intoxicated, driving while intoxicated with a child in the vehicle, having open containers of alcohol in a vehicle and consumption of alcohol in a vehicle, police said.
Mr. Spence was also charged with assault by auto, endangering the welfare of a child, reckless driving and careless driving, police said. Upon his release from the hospital, he was taken to the West Windsor Township Police Department headquarters and released on $5,000 bail with the 10-percent option.
