Jersey City Mayor Fulop says drivers in fatal crashes will face mandatory alcohol and drug testing

By Michaelangelo Conte/The Jersey Journal
August 07, 2013 at 10:08 PM

Hours after Jersey City police officer appeared in court today charged with the manslaughter of a man he allegedly struck with his vehicle, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop said he would like to make drug and alcohol testing mandatory for drivers involved in fatal crashes.

?While neither myself nor (designated Pubic Safety) Director (James) Shea were there, it was our predecessors, our belief is that anytime there is a vehicular homicide the driver should be drug and alcohol tested and this should have been done," Fulop said this evening. "Why that was not done we don't know, but going forward that will be our policy."

The issue is even more poignant in Hudson County given last week's fatal bus crash in West New York. The driver in that case, Idowu Daramola, 48, of Queens, has been charged with death by auto but he was not tested for drugs or alcohol because there was no probable cause.


In that incident, the bus Daramola was driving toppled a street lamp that struck 8-month-old Angelie Paredes whose funeral was Monday.


Officer Michael Spolizino, 36, made his first court appearance today on the charge of the aggravated manslaughter of Stephen A. Clifford, 24, of Jersey City, who was crossing Kennedy Boulevard at Fairmount Avenue when the off-duty officer?s vehicle allegedly struck and killed him on April 19, police said.

There was no indication that Spolizino was under the influence of alcohol or any other substance and a sobriety test was not administered, police said. The officer has also been indicted on the charges of death by auto and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... hol_and_drug_testing.html