A 26-year-old Newark man is facing assault-by-auto and drunk-driving charges after police say his Nissan Murano slammed into four other vehicles on Davis Avenue in Kearny on Wednesday night, injuring several people near Kearny High School. The crash happened around 8:46 p.m. on Davis Avenue, and it left multiple vehicles heavily damaged and debris scattered across the roadway.
Kearny Police charged Jair A. Girioreyna with assault by auto within 1,000 feet of a school causing bodily injury, driving while impaired, reckless driving, and careless driving, according to RLS Media. Police say Girioreyna became combative with emergency medical staff at the scene and was later subjected to a search warrant for a blood sample to determine his blood alcohol level, the outlet reported. As of Thursday, the crash's cause and the full extent of injuries were not immediately available, according to Daily Voice.
Fire, Police and EMS Crews Swarm the Scene
Kearny fire, police, and EMS crews treated the injured, stabilized the damaged vehicles, addressed hazards, and transported patients for further medical care, per the same Daily Voice account. Firefighters also assisted with hazardous-material cleanup, debris removal, and towing away the wrecked cars, while Kearny Police opened an investigation into the crash. Video from the scene, according to JerseyTalks, showed multiple damaged vehicles and debris scattered across the roadway.
Kearny High School had an event underway on the night of the crash, and one neighbor told Daily Voice they heard the marching band playing nearby when the collision occurred.
Neighbors Say Speeding Complaints Predate the Crash
That same neighbor said the wreck renewed long-standing concerns about speeding on Davis Avenue, telling the outlet it was the second crash on their block this year and that drivers speed on the road every day. The neighbor added that with the street sitting between two schools, a child could have been struck while leaving the high school event that night.
In February, a collision along nearby Kearny Avenue between Bergen Avenue and Afton Street killed 72-year-old resident Sheila Cruz, and Hudson County prosecutors charged a driver in that case in April, according to News 12 New Jersey.
School Zone Rules Carry Steep Penalties
Under New Jersey statute N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1(c), causing bodily injury while driving while intoxicated within 1,000 feet of a school or school crossing can elevate an assault-by-auto charge to a third-degree crime; causing serious bodily injury can make it a second-degree crime. Many first-time third-degree convictions carry a presumption of non-incarceration, according to Aiello Harris.
Kearny has highlighted safety improvements at the Kearny Avenue and Bergen Avenue intersection, according to the Town of Kearny. Hudson County also published its Vision Zero Safety Action Plan in January 2025, setting a goal to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries on county and municipal roads by 2034 through targeted upgrades on high-crash corridors.
For now, the criminal case against Girioreyna moves forward as Kearny Police continue investigating exactly what led to Wednesday night's crash. Neighbors on Davis Avenue, meanwhile, say the wreck is only the latest reminder of a problem they have been raising all year.
