LAKEWOOD – A Hazlet man faces a raft of charges after he allegedly caused a major traffic accident that injured three people in Lakewood Township.
Police Lieutenant LeRoy Marshall said 44-year-old Richard Donato was taken into custody following the Sunday night crash at the intersection of Route 70 and New Hampshire Avenue.
According to police, Donato is accused of driving through the intersection and smashing into the front passenger side of a vehicle heading south on New Hampshire Avenue.
Donato’s car then hit three more vehicles on the northbound side of the road.
According to the police department, three people suffered various injuries. One person was critical while others were treated and released from local hospitals.
Charges for Donato include DWI, careless driving, reckless driving, assault by auto and failure to observe a traffic signal.
The Lakewood Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and the New Jersey State Police all responded to the scene. The State Department Of Transportation was also there to aid in some of the debris cleanup and investigation.
The identities of those injured have not been released.
