Council Shuts Down Morristown Taxi Company After Fatal Hit-And-Run

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Following the hit-and-run death of a pedestrian last month, along with other regulatory violations, the Morristown council voted on Tuesday night to remove a local taxi company's license indefinitely.

The Morristown council voted 5-0, during a special meeting, to ban Enslin's LLC/G&S Car Service from operating, citing a significant list of breaches and a long "list of un-permitted drivers."

According to Town Clerk Margot Kaye, George Enslin, the company owner, had not registered or obtained a license with the town, even after she gave him an extension grace period, meaning he was operating his business without a current or valid permit.

"There is certainly a track record here. There were 26 violations that I counted in the past six years, despite what Mr. Enslin said. Everything is well documented, and I would see no reason to renew this; there are issues, there are public safety issues," Council Vice President Nathan Umbriac said.

Enslin, who showed up at the meeting 15 minutes late, said that he made a poor decision in hiring Jermaine Edwards, 51, who has since been charged with leaving the scene of a deadly collision after hitting Morristown resident Francis Alvarado-Trejo, 40, with his vehicle on Saturday, Aug. 12.

• Read more: Driver Caught, Charged In Fatal Hit-And-Run In Morristown

Enslin told the council that he felt terrible about the incident but that he knew Edwards' mother and that Edwards had been through "some tough times years ago," which included charges on his record.

"I made a poor decision, but it's not going to happen again. I have no defense of what I did; it happened," Enslin said.

According to the company's website, Enslins LLC was founded in 1976 and is a third-generation family business that provides taxi services in seven municipalities as well as automobile services to major airports.

During the public hearing, Enslin also recalled how, many years ago, Morristown officials urged him to expand his business from Dover and Mine Hill into Morristown.

When discussing his company, Enslin claimed that finding drivers who fulfill the town's stringent taxi code has become nearly impossible in recent years, noting that the process frequently results in candidates being disqualified for problems in their distant past.

"I don't know what the answer is. The strict requirements of being a taxi driver are tougher than Uber drivers and limo drivers, and it puts the pressure on me to make a decision," Enslin said.

Council President Sandi Mayer argued that Enslin should accept responsibility for his failure to report driving violations and renew his business license, claiming that if he had properly reported those prior violations to the clerk, his licensure would have been investigated years earlier.

"People's lives are in your hands when they are sitting in the back of one of your cars, and when you say, 'Oh, we had a drunk driving conviction a number of years ago,' that plays into it, and people's lives are in your hands. It can't be a flippant response. We understand you do a service to the town, and we appreciate that, but there is a line that's been crossed," Mayer said.

Councilman Robert Iannaccone expressed sympathy for Enslin and his difficulties in recruiting drivers for his company and added that while background checks are vital, he believes in second chances.

"I think what we are probably missing in the regulations is some type of parameter around background checks because everybody should have a second chance. I think we've had lax in enforcement of these regulations, on our own admission," Iannaccone said.

Kaye acknowledged that things began to loosen up in 2016, prior to her appointment, when the council dropped taxi license costs.

"The whole process has just fallen apart over the years. I take responsibility and have now begun to develop processes and system improvements, which I have put on paper. We are fully engaged to get this turned around 180 percent for renewals next year," Kaye said.

Following further deliberation, Councilman Stefan Armington submitted a motion to revoke Enslin's operator's license indefinitely.

"People who drive legal taxis in this town go through the process and come to you (the town clerk) and give you the paperwork that is necessary, and Mr. Enslin chose not to do that because he found it burdensome, and that to me is not acceptable," Mayer said.