Driver in fatal Staten Island crash has previous drunk driving charge

Pedro Abad, the driver in Friday's fatal accident in Staten Island that killed a fellow officer, had a prior drunk driving charge on his record, NJ Advance Media is reporting.

Linden police officer Pedro Abad (AP Photo/Linden N.J. Police Department)

The report said an examination of Abad's driving record revealed a February 2013 accident in Rahway which resulted in a charge of driving under the influence and indicated that he declined to take a chemical test. That October, his driver's license was suspended and an interlocking device installed on his car for 180 days.

Abad, 27, a six-year-veteran of the Linden police department, had his license restored in May 2014 after meeting the requirements of his sentence.

Abad had two fellow Linden officers and a friend in his car early last Friday when he headed the wrong way onto the West Shore Expressway with two tractor-trailer's approaching. The first rig swerved out of the way but the second struck Abad's car.

Linden police officer Frank Viggiano and friend, Joe Rodriguez were killed. Abad and Linden police officer Patrik Kudlac were critically injured. The four were returning from a Staten Island strip club.

Hours earlier, Abad had posted a photo of three filled shot glasses on his Instagram page, writing: "The 3 of us, are decent people. There's a decent woman out there for each of us. Sure it's cool to be single every now and then, but I don't give a damn what ANYONE says. At the end of the day, I want a family. I want to settle down. We all do. So here's to finding that which we all hope for."

Viggiano will be laid to rest on Thursday; his viewing is Wednesday. The funeral for Rodriquez will be Wednesday with a viewing on Tuesday.