Dangerous drunk driving in South Brunswick, NJ — cops nearly hit

🔴 The driver of a Maserati rear-ended a vehicle on Route 1 and then ran a red light

🔴 Yurii Kotiash failed a field sobriety test and refused a breathalyzer test

🔴 Eric Timmons nearly hit officers investigating a fatal crash on Route 130

SOUTH BRUNSWICK — Police arrested two men on drunk driving charges in separate scary incidents during the weekend, including one that nearly injured a police officer investigating a fatal crash.

Yurii Kotiash, 28, of Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania, was behind the wheel of a 2018 Maserati that rear-ended a Nissan stopped in the southbound lanes near Henderson Road around 8:50 p.m. Friday night.

Kotiash drove away and then ran the red light at Henderson Road, hitting a Honda, which sent the 2018 Maserati into the woods, according to police. Kotiash was not injured.

The driver of the Honda, a 36-year-old North Brunswick resident, was hospitalized with moderate injuries.

Breathalyzer test refusal

After failing a field sobriety test, Kotiash refused to take a breathalyzer at police headquarters, officials said. He was also charged with refusing a breath test, failure to observe traffic, right of way at an intersection, careless driving, reckless driving, failing to report a crash, and leaving the scene of a crash.

Danger at a tragic scene

Early Sunday morning, during the investigation of a fatal crash in the northbound lanes of Route 130, a patrolman leaped out of the way of a wrong-way driver heading south.

Driver Eric Timmons, 47, of North Brunswick, admitted to officers he had been drinking. He was charged with DWI and careless driving.

Police are still looking for the driver involved in the fatal crash who fled the crash scene on foot.

Kerri Lynn Shea, 43, of East Windsor died in the crash at the intersection of Route 130 and Route 32 shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday night, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

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