Lawrence Man Arrested After Allegedly Causing Three Separate Crashes That Send Five People to Hospital

Princeton Borough police officers arrested a 22-year-old Lawrence Township man on Friday, Oct. 14, and charged him with driving while intoxicated (DWI) and knowingly leaving the scene of an accident with injuries.

Moises Ortiz, 22, was also charged with reckless driving, failure to maintain a lane, improper passing and driving without a license, according to Princeton Borough police. 

Police said it was just after 8 p.m. on Friday when Ortiz drove south on Bayard Lane at Boudinot Street and struck a vehicle in front of him. 

The vehicle Ortiz allegedly struck spun and the driver had to be extricated by Princeton Fire Department and Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad personnel. This driver suffered injuries to his hips and lower legs, police said. 

Police said Ortiz continued driving south and struck a second vehicle, which was stopped in traffic. He continued driving south on Bayard Lane and struck the rear of a third vehicle that was stopped, pushing it into another vehicle.

Police said Ortiz tried to flee the scene by driving over the west curb of Bayard Lane, where he struck a traffic sign and a tree, but kept driving until he hit a traffic signal pole at the intersection of Bayard Lane and Stockton Street. 

Five people were injured during the collisions, including Ortiz, and all were transported to the University Medical Center at Princeton for treatment. None of the injuries was life-threatening, police said.

Bail for Ortiz was set at $25,000, police said.