According to recently released police reports, an off-duty New Jersey police sergeant was arrested in December after driving faster than 70mph then crashing his vehicle into two other cars and seriously injuring an occupant in the wreckage. Police reported that they knew the intoxicated driver was a cop and that he had been aggravated, urine-stained, and unable to walk without assistance to the ambulance.
On December 18, 2018, off-duty Sayreville Police Sgt. Jeffrey Kutz, 57, had been drinking at the home of another officer before leaving in his Dodge pickup truck and crashing into two parked vehicles. According to a witness, Sgt. Kutz was driving between 90 to 100mph before the crash, while the Dodge’s “black box” recorder revealed Kutz had been driving at least 70mph before slamming into a disabled dump truck and a parked Nissan Altima.
The recently released police reports noted that two men were attempting to repair the broken-down truck when Kutz plowed into their vehicles. One of the men was uninjured, while the other became trapped within the wreckage.
A news release revealed that the victim had been in critical condition and was airlifted to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. Kutz was charged with third-degree vehicular assault, driving while intoxicated, and reckless driving. He was also suspended without pay from the department.
After the crash, one of the officers noted seeing broken pieces of “safety triangles” on the road where the civilians had attempted to observe proper safety regulations. Old Bridge Officer Scott Henry reported that Kutz was initially unconscious when he arrived at the scene.
“When speaking to Mr. Kutz his eyes appeared to be bloodshot and his speech was slurred. When asking Mr. Kutz where he was coming from, he stated, ‘a driveway.’ Mr. Kutz appeared to be extremely confused and was not aware of where he was at the time,” Henry wrote.
Henry also noted that Kutz appeared “aggravated” and had been punching his steering wheel and center console. Officer Gregory Goy noted that Kutz lost his balance after exiting his vehicle and needed help walking to the ambulance. The officers also claimed that the 22-year veteran had urinated on himself.
Kutz is scheduled to appear at Superior Court in New Brunswick on Janauary 24.
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