A resident of Trenton has been charged with four counts of assault by automobile in connection with a September motor vehicle collision in East Windsor that left four Allentown High School students hospitalized.
The criminal charges were announced on Oct. 21 by the East Windsor Police Department. The individual who was charged was identified by police as Hector Esteban-Palomo, 41, of Trenton.
Allentown High School is one of three schools in the Upper Freehold Regional School District. In the aftermath of the collision, UFRSD administrators said the four teenagers who were injured and hospitalized are students at Allentown High School.
According to a press release East Windsor police issued shortly after the incident, a two-vehicle head-on collision occurred at 7 a.m. Sept. 20 on Windsor-Perrineville Road near the intersection of Cedarville Road in East Windsor.
One vehicle involved in the collision was a 2019 Nissan Sentra sedan occupied by four teenagers and the second vehicle was a 2005 Toyota Tundra pickup truck occupied by one adult, according to police.
In announcing the charges on Oct. 21, police said the pickup truck was being driven by Esteban-Palomo. Police said an investigation determined his pickup truck allegedly left its lane of travel, crossed the double yellow lines and entered the oncoming lane of travel.
According to police, a toxicology report revealed Esteban-Palomo had a blood alcohol content above the legal limit.
Esteban-Palomo was arrested and charged with four counts of assault by automobile, driving while under the influence, reckless driving, careless driving, failure to maintain lane and having an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle. He was released pending court action, according to police.
Esteban-Palomo sustained what were described as minor injuries in the collision, according to a social media post from East Windsor Fire Company No. 2.
The sedan that was involved in the collision was being driven by a 17-year-old boy. There were three passengers in the vehicle: two 16-year-old boys and a 14-year-old boy. East Windsor police said all four teenagers were seriously injured in the collision.
A social media post from Chris and Aimee Duffy identified two of the boys who were in the vehicle as their children, Jordan and Charlie.
The other two boys who were in the vehicle were identified as brothers Celso and Matthew Eurich by an online fundraiser that was created to help with medical costs.
No update on the boys’ condition was available as of Oct. 22.