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Around 1:23 AM on February 23, 2024, officers with the Hillsborough Township Police Department were dispatched to a motor vehicle accident on River Road near the intersection with Amwell Road. Officer William Morsch first arrived on scene around 1:29 AM and noticed that a 2023 Ford Bronco had struck a fence as well as tree in front of a house. The driver of the vehicle was identified as 25-year-old Anthony Ciattarelli, the son of Jack Ciattarelli.

As Officers David Chehade and George Kokinakos arrived on scene and began speaking with Anthony, they detected the odor of alcohol and observed other indicators of impairment. Jack told the officers that he was heading home and admitted to consuming a few beers earlier that evening. Given the lacerations on his face, the officers waited until he could be evaluated by first responders before administering field sobriety exercises. Once he was cleared by first responders and declined to be transported to the hospital, Officer Chehade administered the field sobriety exercises.

He started with the Walk and Turn test. During the Walk and Turn test, Anthony failed to touch heel-to-toe on each step, failed to turn, and returned to the starting position by walking backwards. The final exercise was the One Leg Stand test, and Anthony failed to raise his foot in the proper fashion, did not count in the correct sequence, and put his foot down before the test was complete.

Based on the motor vehicle crash, the odor of alcohol, his admission to consuming alcohol, and his inability to adequately complete the field sobriety exercises, Officer Chehade placed Anthony under arrest for driving under the influence. The vehicle that he had been driving was impounded by Value Towing for a mandatory 12-hour hold under John’s Law. He was transported by Officers Chehade and Kokinakos to the Hillsborough Township Police Department for further processing.

At the Hillsborough Township Police Department, Anthony was read the Standard Statement for Motor Vehicle Operators and agreed to submit breath samples for testing. His Alcotest results indicated a BAC level of 0.20%, which was more than double the legal limit of 0.08%. After the officers completed their paperwork, Anthony was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Somerset for further evaluation.

Anthony was issued the following summonses:

-Operating under the influence (39:4-50)
-Reckless driving (39:4-96)
-Careless driving (39:4-97)
-Failure to report accident (39:4-130)
-Traffic on marked lanes (39:4-88)
-Failure to keep right (39:4-82)
-Failure to possess driver insurance card (39:3-29C)

Court records indicate that on April 19, 2024, Anthony’s case was transferred from the Hillsborough Township Municipal Court to the Jefferson Township Municipal Court. On November 14, 2024, Anthony pleaded guilty to operating under the influence. As a result of his guilty plea, Anthony had to use an ignition interlock device for 12 months, spend 12 hours at an intoxicated driver resource center, and pay a total of $390 in fines. The other 6 citations were dismissed as part of a plea agreement. 
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