Again? Another NJ official in DWI with bottle of alcohol and kids in car

🚨Megan Fackler collided with a tractor-trailer in Ewing

🚨She failed a field sobriety test

🚨The latest public official charged with DWI

EWING — A New Jersey Department of Transportation executive was charged with DWI after her SUV hit a tractor-trailer while her three young daughters were in the car.

The police video posted by Transparency Bodycam, and first reported by the New York Post, shows the trailer with damage to its rear axle after being hit at the intersection of Grand and Summit avenues on Oct. 5 by an SUV.

Megan Fackler, the director of statewide planning, was behind the wheel.

This is the second report this year of a New Jersey official getting busted on DWI charges involving their children in the car. While Fackler's arrest happened in October, it came to light weeks after the mayor of Lumberton was caught with a water bottle filled with vodka while driving her toddler.

DOT official in crash

Fackler told police she was following directions to her brother's house, where she was going to live following her divorce. An officer said Fackler seemed disoriented as she tried to explain what led to the crash and explained she was "a little out of sorts."

ALSO READ: 3 biggest mistakes to getting a REAL ID as deadline looms

Open bottles of wine

Officers also noticed open bottles of wine in the SUV, which she said were from "a few weeks ago."

The officer noted her speech was slurred and she was having difficulty answering questions.

After some hesitation and saying she works for the DOT, Fackler agreed to take the sobriety test.  She was unable to follow directions to count out loud during a walk-and-turn test and asked the officer to "not get mad" at her as he calmly asked questions. Fackler failed the test and was charged with driving under the influence.

ALSO READ: Offshore wind projects dead in the water

4 times the legal limit

The children, ages 8, 7 and 4, were released to the custody of Fackler's brother, who accompanied them to a hospital.

Fackler was handcuffed and taken to Ewing police headquarters while her car was impounded under John's Law.

Fackler took a blood alcohol test and blew a 0.371%, which is over 4 times the legal limit of 0.08%.

Fackler was also charged with reckless driving, careless driving, driving an unregistered motor vehicle and failure to possess an insurance card.

ALSO READ: Tainted gas sold at gas station near Parkway

Still on the job?

The DOT website still lists Fackler in an organizational chart on a page that was last updated in November 2024.

Payroll records show Fackler has been in the Public Employees Retirement System since 2019.

A DOT spokesman on Friday did not respond to New Jersey 101.5's request for comment. State offices were closed for the Good Friday holiday.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom