NJ man seriously hurts twin by driving with him on hood, cops say

A West Caldwell man surrendered to police after being charged with driving into a tree while his brother held onto the hood of the vehicle.

Anthony Dattoli, 18, drove drunk through a school zone on June 27 and crashed into a tree, causing his brother to lose his leg, according to Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II.

Anthony Dattoli left the scene but surrendered to police on Monday.

His brother, identified as Joseph in a GoFundMe page created by his sister Emma to purchase a prosthetic leg, had just graduated high school and was going to attend Kean University.

He is scheduled to undergo several surgeries.

"He would go to bat for me in the blink of an eye, and it’s time I return the favor," Emma wrote. "There are so many positives to Joe getting a prosthetic, and I can see him in a few months in recovery laughing and joking about being able to take his leg on and off. Despite the fact that we all wouldn’t want to lose a leg, it is better than losing Joe altogether."

Stephens did not disclose the circumstances of how Joseph Dattoli wound up on the hood of the car.

Anthony Dattoli was charged with aggravated assault, vehicular aggravated assault while intoxicated in a school zone, leaving the scene of an accident, and endangering an injured victim. He was being held at the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ