Ex-Perth Amboy, Monroe municipal engineer sentenced in DWI crash

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — A judge has sentenced the former municipal engineer for Perth Amboy and Monroe to five years in prison for causing a high-speed crash while drunk that injured three people.

Ernest Feist pleaded guilty to assault by auto and drunken driving.

The Home News Tribune reports Feist apologized in court in New Brunswick on Thursday and said he had made a bad decision.

Police say Feist was driving more than 90 mph after drinking for more than three hours in the afternoon in 2013 when his car struck an SUV head on. His car became airborne and hit a truck before bursting into flames.

His blood-alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit.

The judge also ordered Feist to pay $33,000 in restitution to two of the victims.

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