N.J. police sergeant charged with drunken driving in fatal crash

A sergeant with the East Hanover Police Department was charged with vehicular homicide and assault by auto in a crash that killed one person in Riverdale earlier this month, Morris County officials announced Tuesday.
Keith M. Gunther, 42, of Wanaque, was charged with second-degree vehicular homicide and third-degree assault by auto in a crash that killed one person on the night of Oct. 15.
Riverdale police responded to the area of Route 23 north at 10:58 p.m. on Oct. 15 for a report of a two-car crash involving a pickup and a sedan, authorities said.
Investigators said the truck Gunther was driving was in the opposite lane of traffic, traveling south in the northbound lanes when it struck a car.
The passenger in the car was pronounced dead at the scene and identified as Hamid Shabuddin, 55, of Paterson, officials said. The driver of the car was injured and taken to St. Joseph’s University Medical Center, according to authorities.
Gunther displayed signs of intoxication at the scene of the crash, and after an investigation he was charged in the death of Shabuddin and issued a summons for driving while intoxicated, authorities said.
No other details about the investigation were shared by authorities Tuesday.
Gunther was released from custody and is under pretrial monitoring, according to authorities. He was ordered to surrender his driver’s license and passport and refrain from excessive use of alcohol, officials said.
Gunther’s attorney, Robert Scrivo, said Tuesday that his client is a “man of great service” having been deployed overseas as a member of the National Guard.
Scrivo said that Gunther has been a member of the East Hanover Police Department for 17 years and declined to comment on the charges.
Officials with the East Hanover Police Department did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday.
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Matthew Enuco may be reached at [email protected]. Follow Matt on X