NJ school board member charged with DWI after terrifying 2 a.m. crash into house

MANASQUAN — A longtime school board member in Monmouth County faces a drunk driving charge after crashing through the wall of a house.

During a 2 a.m. drive on March 7, Thomas Pellegrino, 58, hit two vehicles parked on Newark Avenue, drove across several front lawns and narrowly missed a utility pole on Ridge Avenue, police said. He then drove up the stairs of the front porch and crashed into the house, Manasquan police Capt. Nick Norcias said.

A picture on NJ.com shows a Jeep in the wall.

The homeowner told the Coast Star, which was first to report on Pellegrino's arrest, that the vehicle narrowly missed her 17-year-old son's bedroom.

Pellegrino was charged with operating under the influence, refusal to submit to a breath test, reckless driving, unsafe operation of a vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident and failing to report an accident. He is scheduled for a court hearing on Wednesday.

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In a statement from attorney Mitchell Ansell, the 12-year member of the Manasquan Board of Education said he was "truly sorry for the terrible event."

"His utmost concern is for the health and safety for all involved and he is so thankful no one was seriously hurt," Ansell said. "He is currently taking steps to address his personal health issues and getting the help he needs at this time.

"Tom Pellegrino has spent his entire life trying to serve his community and loves the borough of Manasquan. He pledges to continue to give back to the community and do everything he can to make amends for this incident."

Manasquan schools Superintendent Robert Goodall declined to comment for this article.

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