East Brunswick Man Charged in Hit and Run on Route 535

An East Brunswick man is facing drunk driving charges after an alleged hit and run incident on Route 535 Thursday evening. 

Chandresh Chitalia, 47, was charged with assault by auto, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to render aid to injured person, and driving while intoxicated after he allegedly struck a motorcyclist and then fled from the scene of the collision. 

At 8:25 p.m., South Brunswick Police responded to a motor vehicle crash reported near the intersection of Route 535 and Davidson Mill Road. Witnesses told police that a 1997 Nissan Altima struck a motorcyclist and then fled the scene while the motorcycle was still stuck to the vehicle.

The driver, Christopher Kobi, 39, was found laying semiconscious in the roadway. Kobi told police he was stopped on his 2008 Harley Davidson at the intersection of Davidson Mill Road when he was struck from behind and thrown off his bike. Kobi was transported by the Monmouth Junction First Aid Squad to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

Witnesses told police that after the collision, Chitalia got out of his vehicle and attempted to remove the motorcycle from his car. After he was unsuccessful, Chitalia then allegedly got back into his car and headed north on Route 535. 

East Brunswick officers soon spotted Chitalia with sparks flying out from under the vehicle and stopped him on Route 535 near Rues Lane.

Chitalia allegedly had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath and had difficulty standing. He told officers that he "felt a thud," but didn’t realize he hit anything.

The Harley Davidson was wedged under Chitalia's vehicle for than two miles from the scene of the accident, according to police. 

After being arrested, Chitalia threw up on himself while being transported to headquarters, police said.

Chitalia refused a breathalyzer at police headquarters. He was lodged in the Middlesex County Correction Center in lieu of $75,000 bail.