UPDATE: Attorney Charged With Dragging Victim With Car, Fleeing Scene

A Ridgewood lawyer was arrested Monday for allegedly dragging a person with his car in Ridgewood before fleeing the scene, said.

Daniel McNerney, 49, of Kenwood Road, was charged with aggravated assault, endangering an injured victim, and leaving the scene of an accident, Captain Jacqueline Luthcke said Wednesday. Luthcke characterized the victim's injuries as "serious" but did not offer any further detail.

McNerney, whose practice includes personal injury representation, is the brother of former County Executive Dennis McNerney.

His attorney, Ray Flood, said Thursday he would be pleading not guilty to the charges. Flood declined to discuss the details of the alleged incident but said there would be "total cooperation with law enforcement" in the course of the investigation.

"It's my expectation that when a thorough investigation is done these charges will be dismissed against him," Flood said.

McNerney was arrested without incident at 6 a.m. in Ramsey, Luthcke said.

Police would not provide details about the incident, including where and when it occurred, or the condition of the alleged victim.

A spokeswoman for the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office said the matter was being handled by Ridgewood. McNerney waived his first appearance at Ridgewood Municipal Court Thursday. The case is likely to move to Superior Court in Hackensack.

McNerney was appointed by the New Jersey Supreme Court's Office on Attorney Ethics to the District IIA Ethics Committee, according to his firm's website. A spokesman for the Office of Attorney Ethics said as of Thursday McNerney's status on the committee has not changed, but the office is "looking into the matter."

He has been a public defender in Hackensack, Paramus, New Milford and Cresskill, and represented a 9/11 survivor, according to the law firm's site.

This report was last updated at 5:57 p.m. Thursday to update that McNerney waived his first appearance in Ridgewood Municipal Court on Thursday.