Cops: Drunk Driver Hits Hydrant, Flees

An allegedly intoxicated driver hit a fire hydrant on Tomalyn Hill Road in the township, lost his front bumper and then was involved in another accident in Parsippany, authorities said.

The driver, a 46-year-old Toms River man, was charged with DWI in connection with both New Year's Eve evening crashes, police said.

responded to a report of an SUV hitting a fire hydrant on Tomalyn Hill Road at 7:26 p.m. Saturday and found debris, including the SUV's front bumper with license plate, all over the nearby intersection of Passaic Valley and Changebridge roads, Montville police Lt. Letitia Huffstutler said Tuesday.

A witness approached the driver of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, later identified by police as Michael Romano, after he allegedly struck the fire hydrant, but the witness said Romano drove away, police said.

At 8:11 p.m., Parsippany police said a car matching the description of the SUV involved in the Montville accident was involved in another accident at the intersection of Lake Hiawatha's Knoll and North Beverwyck roads.

A responding officer saw a gray four-door Jeep missing a front bumper sitting in the intersection facing a curb and realized it matched the description of the vehicle involved in the Montville crash, police said.

Parsippany police arrested Romano and charged him with DWI and refusing to submit to breath samples, authorities said. Montville police charged Romano with DWI, careless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to report an accident, driving an uninsured vehicle and driving an unsafe vehicle, police said.