NJ Man Jailed After 15th DWI
By STEPHANIE BARISH wpix.com

2:52 p.m. EDT, July 1, 2009
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (WPIX)—
An East Rutherford man, whose driver's license has been suspended a staggering 78 times over a 22-year period, admitted to officials Tuesday that he was indeed driving while under the influence of alcohol when he slammed his car head-on with another vehicle carrying a father and his young daughter - bringing his total drunken driving offenses to 15.

Shaun P. Campbell, 40, pleaded guilty in state Superior Court in Morristown to charges related to the April 23 collision, when he crashed his SUV into a Ford pickup truck carrying 48-year-old Harold Bivens and his four-year-old daughter, Hannah Bivens. Harold suffered an injury to his finger and his daughter sustained an abrasion on her chest.

Following the incident, Campbell reportedly fled the scene, running into a nearby park, but authorities quickly apprehended him.

Campbell admitted in court that his blood-alcohol level at the time of the crash was .288 percent, which is more than triple the state's .08 percent level. When a judge asked Campbell what he had to drink that night, he replied, ""Beer. Quite a bit. Enough to not know what was going on."

Campbell did say, however, he is willing to pay for any damage to Bivens' car that wasn't covered by insurance. "I'm not trying to hide if I caused damage," he said.

Prosecutors are urging the judge to sentence Campbell, who also has outstanding DWI charges in Pequannock and Wayne, to a maximum prison term of more than two years and also revoke his license for another 10 years.

"We need to ensure that these cases are handled sternly to ensure, as best as possible, the safety of the community from the dangers of drinking and driving," said Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi.

The judge revoked Campbell's $50,000 bail immediately after his plea. He is currently being held in Morris County jail.