Crime & Safety

Police: Drunken Motorist Hit Parked Car

Midland Park boy accused of taking dad's vehicle for joy ride

Wyckoff police made the following arrests recently:

  • A Hawthorne man was charged with drunken driving after allegedly hitting a parked car in Midland Park.

At 8:10 p.m. Jan. 31, Midland Park police notified area municipalities that a motorist struck a parked car on Bank Street and fled. Provided with a vehicle description and a license plate number, a Hawthorne officer saw the motorist driving in Wyckoff near the border with Hawthorne, and stopped the car on Nancy Lane.

Police said the vehicle, driven by Vincent M. Speranza, 23, had significant front-end damage. Wyckoff Sgt. Michael Ragucci and Patrolman Ryan Tenney responded to the stop and arrested Speranza on charges of driving while intoxicated and reckless driving. Additional charges were filed in Midland Park.

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Speranza was released to his father and will appear in Municipal Court.

  • A New York woman was charged with drunken driving following the Super Bowl.

Police said Kerry Ann Smith, 41, was driving erratically on Route 209 at 11:36 p.m. Feb. 7. Patrolman Kevin Pinches stopped Smith and determined that she was intoxicated.

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Smith was charged with DWI, refusal to submit to a breath test, failure to maintain her lane of travel, reckless driving and failure to exhibit a registration certificate.

The woman was released to a family member and will appear in Municipal Court.

  • A Pompton Lakes man was charged with drunken driving, also on Feb. 7.

Police said Patrolman Ryan Tenney observed Fernando J. Lopez, 25, driving north on Route 208 after 3 a.m., allegedly swerving between lanes. Lopez was stopped near Cedar Hill Avenue, and Tenney said the driver failed field sobriety tests.

Lopez was charged with DWI, failure to maintain his lane, reckless driving and unclear license plates.

He was released to his mother and is scheduled to appear in Municipal Court.

  • A Hawthorne teen was charged with possession of alcohol after a traffic stop on Feb. 6.

Sgt. Ragucci was operating radar on Route 208 at 1:30 a.m. that morning when he said he clocked two vehicles traveling together at 83 mph. One vehicle was stopped, and the other continued driving. However, police said the second vehicle returned and drove past Ragucci; that second motorist was stopped on Wyckoff Avenue near Sunset Boulevard.

The stop of the second car revealed that a 17-year-old teen who was a passenger in the car was in possession of a bottle of beer.

The Hawthorne teen was charged with possession of alcohol while underage and released to a parent. A complaint was filed with Bergen County Juvenile Court.

  • A Midland Park boy was arrested after allegedly taking his father's car for a joy ride.

A 14-year-old boy was pulled over at 9:20 p.m. Feb. 1 after Sgt. Ragucci said he observed him driving in a suspicious manner at the intersection of Godwin and Crescent avenues. Ragucci said the boy nearly collided with another car.

The boy was charged with driving while unlicensed and failure to yield to another vehicle. He was released to his father and must appear in Municipal Court.


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