Bridgewater Man Indicted in Drunken Motor Vehicle Crash

A Dartmouth Avenue resident was indicted Wednesday on charges stemming from a motor vehicle accident in November, according to a press release from the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office.

Howard Lee Keely, Jr., 46, was charged with second degree endangering the welfare of a child and fourth degree assault by auto.

According to Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey Soriano, Bridgewater police responded to the scene of an accident 7 p.m. Nov. 12 on East Main Street. After an investigation, Soriano said, it was found that Keely was operating a pick-up truck when he hit the rear end of a 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier while driving eastbound.

The Cavalier, Soriano said, was in the eastbound lane about to turn left onto Schindler Terrace.

In the crash, Soriano said, the driver of the Cavalier—a 37-year-old Bridgewater woman—was injured.

At the same time, Soriano said, it was found that Keely had a 9-year-old passenger in his vehicle, who was not wearing a seatbelt and was injured in the crash.

Later investigations, Soriano said, found that Keely had a blood alcohol level of 0.23 percent while he was driving. The legal limit, as allowed by New Jersey law, is 0.08 percent.

Aside from the indictment, Keely has also been charged with driving while intoxicated, driving while intoxicated with a minor child, failing to restrain a minor child in a motor vehicle and careless driving.

If convicted of the endangerment charge, Soriano said, Keely could be sentenced to serve five to 10 years in state prison. In addition, Soriano said, if convicted in the assault by auto charge, Keely could serve up to 18 months in prison.

Keely is expected to appear before the court on the indictment in March, with the state being represented by Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Murphy.