Police say a suspected drunk driver was arrested
after they say he struck a Jefferson police cruiser with his vehicle in Morris
County while the officer sat in it.
The
incident happened Aug. 28 around
3:06 a.m. on Route 15 north near Berkshire Valley Road.
According to police, Officer Tyler Lamantia was
sitting in his marked patrol vehicle when he was struck from behind by a
suspected intoxicated driver. LaMantia was assisting other officers with a
motor vehicle accident when the incident occurred.
Police say Lamantia was taken to Morristown Memorial
Hospital for bodily injuries sustained during the crash.
The driver, identified as
David Prontnicki, 45, of Budd Lake, was operating the vehicle that struck LaMantia's
patrol car. Prontnicki was arrested at the scene for suspicion of driving under
the influence.