After police pursuit, Red Bank police officer charged with DWI
Andrew FordThis story was updated with Middletown police documents detailing the crash and showing a pursuit.
MIDDLETOWN – After a police pursuit, Red Bank Police Officer Benjamin Springer was arrested and faces charges including driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, leaving the scene of a crash and failing to report a crash after a Middletown officer saw Springer's car collide with another, according to Middletown Police Chief R. Craig Weber and police documents.
The crash resulted in one woman being transported to a hospital, the documents show.
The cars collided in the early morning hours of Feb. 16 while they were headed southbound on Half Mile Road, approaching Newman Springs Road. Springer was arrested after a half-mile pursuit, police documents obtained by the Press show.
Springer, 26, was driving his personal car and wasn't on duty at the time, according to Weber. He was alone in his car and nobody else was arrested.
New Jersey's system for police accountability was examined in an Asbury Park Press investigation earlier this year. A panel discussion about the project is posted at the top of this story.
In one instance, the Press found an officer who was arrested three times and remained on the force.
Springer's charges also include speeding, failure to observe a traffic signal, failure to maintain his lane, and an improper right turn. Copies of the summonses are at the bottom of this story.
Springer has been employed by Red Bank since April 2014, according to Red Bank Police Chief Darren McConnell. After the arrest, Springer was suspended with pay.
Springer couldn't be reached for comment.
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Andrew Ford: 732-643-4281; aford3@gannettnj.com