Terence J. Cotter
Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 67-year-old TERENCE J. COTTER of Delray Beach, FL on a charge of assault by auto. The arrest was the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck and the Mahwah Police Department under the direction of Chief Timothy O’Hara.
On Sunday, June 2, 2024, the Mahwah Police Department responded to a 911 call reporting a motor vehicle accident on East Crescent Avenue involving a car and a motorcycle. An investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident Investigation Unit and the Mahwah Police Department revealed that a 2022 Volkswagen, operated by TERENCE COTTER, was traveling south on East Crescent Lane and crossed into the northbound lane and collided with a motorcycle. As a result of the collision, the operator of the motorcycle suffered serious injuries. COTTER was suspected of being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the collision.
As a result of the investigation, on June 2, 2024, TERENCE J. COTTER was arrested and charged with third-degree assault by auto, N.J.S.A 2C:12-1c(2); driving while intoxicated, and related motor vehicle offenses. COTTER was transported to the Bergen County Jail located in Hackensack, NJ pending a detention hearing.
Prosecutor Musella states that the charges are merely accusations, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. He would like to thank the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office for its assistance in this investigation, along with the Mahwah and Paramus Police Department, which both participate in the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Accident Investigation Unit Task Force.
