Sparta Township Police blotter
Fatal accident shuts down Route 181
On Jan. 30 at approximately 5:30 p.m., Sparta Township Police patrols responded to a motor vehicle accident in the area of Woodport Road (Route 181) and Signal Hill Trail.
Officers J. Poon and C. Botta observed two vehicles in the southbound lane that had collided head-on. As they assessed the scene, they checked both vehicles and their occupants. They determined that both drivers were the lone occupants of their vehicles, and that both were seriously injured.
A blue Hyundai Tuscon driven by Erin Moore, 41, of Sparta, N.J., was travelling south on Route 181 when a gray 540i BMW, driven by Attila Princz, 41, of Sparta, N.J., travelling north on Route 181 crossed over into the southbound lane and struck Moore’s vehicle head-on.
Both drivers were treated at the scene by Sparta Police, paramedics, and Sparta Ambulance crews. Sparta Fire Department arrived on scene to extract Moore from her vehicle with the jaws of life. Moore was transported to Newton Memorial Hospital, and Princz was flown to Morristown Hospital.
Moore later succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead by NMH medical staff.
Princz was rushed into emergency surgery for head and back injuries. His condition is unknown at this time. It is unknown at this time what role alcohol may have played in the accident.
The Sparta Detective Bureau and the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office will continue their investigation.
Motor vehicle accident ends in driver’s arrest
On Jan. 20 at approximately 4 p.m., patrols responded to the area of Sterling Hill Road and West Mountain Road for a report that a vehicle had rolled down an embankment.
Sparta Township Police officer Michael Poon arrived on scene and confirmed that a Nissan Frontier pickup had left the roadway and rolled down an embankment. Poon checked on the driver, Martin Laner, 65, of Sparta, and his three grandchildren. Sparta Ambulance was called to the scene to check all parties and determined that no one was injured.
Laner was visibly intoxicated. He stated that he had been consuming alcoholic beverages prior to the accident. After attempting to complete field sobriety tests, Laner was placed under arrest for Driving While Intoxicated and transported to Sparta Police headquarters.
After completing breathalyzer tests, Laner was charged with: DWI, Open Container in a Motor Vehicle, Careless Driving, Reckless Driving, and Failing to Maintain Lane. He was also criminally charged with Child Neglect and Operating a Motor Vehicle While Intoxicated with Children in a Vehicle.
He was advised of his mandatory court appearance and released to a sober adult.