Lawyer to Linden cop accused of deadly, wrong-way DWI crash: Stay off social media

The lawyer for former Linden police office Pedro Abad, charged in a fatal drunk driving crash, says he didn't give permission for Abad to post a message of remorse on his social media account.

"I don't know if he did it. I didn't ask him. But I did instruct him that if he did do it, pull it off and you are not to do it again while I am representing you," attorney Mario Gallucci told NJ.com. The message went up Thursday morning and was quickly taken down.

In the post Abad talked about his injuries after the accident affecting his memories but wrote "I do remember two. Two friends that I had that are not even in the world anymore ... God do I miss them." He also offered thanks to "anyone who supported me one way or another."

Linden Officer Frank Viggiano and friend Joe Rodriguez, both passengers in Abad's car, were both killed in the March accident.

Abad earlier in the week pleaded not guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide, aggravated vehicular assault, reckless endangerment and other crimes in a 27-count indictment that says he had a 0.24 blood alcohol level and was driving at a high rate of speed on the West Shore Expressway during the head-on crash in the early morning hours.

Another passenger, Officer Patrik Kudlac, 23, was also seriously injured in the crash, as were other drivers Eddy Canela and Adrien Cedeno.

Authorities have said Abad and three men in his car had been at a Staten Island strip club before the 5 a.m. collision.