Morristown Cop Admits To Role In DWI Crash

MORRISTOWN, NJ — A Morristown police officer has admitted to driving drunk while off-duty earlier this year, causing a car crash, according to court records.

Laura V. Starnes, 23, of Glen Gardner, pleaded guilty on Thursday to operating (a car) under the influence of liquor in Denville Municipal Court. She was also charged with careless driving initially, but that charge was dismissed, court records show.

Starnes was sentenced to a $640 fine, 12 hours in an Intoxicated Driving Program, and three months of using an ignition interlock device (blow-to-start breathalyzer) in her car.

It’s not yet clear if Starnes is still employed by the Morristown Public Safety Department. Morristown public safety officials were not immediately available for comment.

According to officials, Starnes was driving a 2013 Mazda on Morris Street near Olyphant Place when she crashed around 11 p.m. on May 6, causing her car to roll over. When first responders arrived, she was rushed to Morristown Medical Center, where she consented to a blood draw for toxicology screening.

The screening found her to be intoxicated, officials said.

No other people were injured in the crash, according to court documents.

Mayor Tim Dougherty addressed the car crash back in May.

"This is a serious and deeply troubling incident. I want to assure the public that the Town of Morristown acted immediately and appropriately at every step. All actions taken were with transparency and the law in mind," Dougherty wrote.

Starnes was sworn in to the Morristown Police Bureau just months before the crash, in December 2024.