Driver Flees Crash Scene—Again, Police Say

For the second time in less than a month, a Long Valley resident allegedly crashed a car and fled the scene before police arrived, Lt. Art Adams said.

Patrick Mackewicz, 31, is charged with taking a motor vehicle without owner’s consent, driving while suspended, careless driving, leaving the scene of an accident and failure to report an accident.

Just before midnight on Saturday, Officer Kirk Griffin saw a vehicle that appeared to have left the roadway, striking a large boulder and damaging a fence at the intersection of Bartley and North Four Bridges Road, Adams said.

The vehicle had extensive front-end damage, and no driver could be found, Adams said.

Police checked with the registered owner of the vehicle, who said no permission had been granted to take the vehicle from the home, Adams said. Det. Thomas Falleni and the Morris County Sheriff’s K-9 Unit assisted at the scene but were unable to find the driver, Adams said.

Mackewicz was found to be the driver and was arrested and formally charged on Saturday, Adams said.

At the end of December, police found another abandoned vehicle on Bartley road that had crashed into two trees. An investigation revealed Mackewicz was also the driver of that car and had fled the scene, police said.

He was charged then with careless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to report an accident, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a sawed-off shotgun.

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