DWI Charges Filed After Crash Injures Children

A 56-year-old Cedar Grove man was arrested Wednesday following a car accident that resulted in multiple injuries to another driver and several children.

William R. McMahon was arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated and assault by an automobile following the serious car crash at the intersection of Pompton and Ozone avenues in the township.

According to police, McMahon was traveling north on Pompton Avenue at approximately 4:48 p.m. when he allegedly tried to make a left turn onto Ozone Avenue directly into the path of a 1997 Toyota Camry, driven by a 35-year-old Verona woman.

The woman suffered a shoulder injury in the crash. Her three children — ages 16, 13 and 4 — were also injured. The 13-year-old child was most seriously injured with a head laceration and concussion.

The family was transported to St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Paterson for the injuries, none of which were life threatening.

McMahon was arrested after officers smelled alcohol and observed signs of impairment, police said. He was taken to Mountainside Hospital after complaining of chest pain.

He was additionally charged with having an open alcohol container in the car and failure to wear a seatbelt. McMahon was processed and released pending a Superior Court arraignment on the charges.