Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli announced today that a 20-year-old Fort Lee man has been charged with death by auto, reckless, DWI, and assault by auto.
On Thursday, July 24 at approximately 1:30 a.m., the Ridgefield Police Department received a report of a motor vehicle collision involving a single motor vehicle which had struck a building at the intersection of Broad Avenue and Edgewater Road.
Officers responding to the scene determined that the driver, Tamer M. Ammar, of a 2014 Honda Civic was driving north on Broad Avenue when he lost control of his vehicle, drove into the southbound lane of travel and then struck the building. The driver and two passengers, Miles Reme, a 20-year-old Fort Lee man, and James Racanelli, a twenty year old Fort Lee man, were seriously injured as a result of the collision and were transported to area hospitals.
At approximately 2:40 a.m., Miles Reme was pronounced dead at Hackensack University Medical Center.
A reconstruction of the collision scene and determined that Ammar was driving at a high rate of speed when he recklessly drove off the road, then into oncoming traffic and finally into the commercial building.
Investigators also developed information which indicated that Ammar was intoxicated, under the influence of controlled dangerous substances, at the time of the collision.
A blood sample taken from Ammar on the day of the collision was submitted for toxicological examination. Results are pending.
Ammar was seriously injured as a result of the collision and remains hospitalized.
Ammar was charged with one count of violating N.J.S.A. 2C:11-5, Death by Auto, and one count of violating N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1c2, Assault by Auto while driving in violation of R.S. 39:4-50 (DWI).
Ammar was also issued numerous summonses for motor vehicle violations including Driving While Intoxicated, Reckless Driving, Careless Driving, Driving Over the Sidewalk, and Failure to Keep Right.
The warrant was issued by Ridgefield Municipal Court Judge David Lafferty who authorized that Ammar be released on his own recognizance while he remains hospitalized. No arraignment date has been set.