'Three times legal limit': Prosecutors shed light on Sparta crash that killed local woman

An afternoon of drinking at a Lake Hopatcong restaurant and a "conscious" decision by a Sparta man to then drive his BMW home led to an out-of-control crash, and the death of a township woman, Sussex County prosecutors said Monday.

Details of the moments leading up to the fatal crash came to light in a Superior Court hearing for Attila Princz, 41, who at the time of the Jan. 30 collision allegedly had a blood alcohol content of .26%, authorities said, just over three times the legal limit of 0.08% for driving while intoxicated. Princz, however, believes there is a discrepancy in how much alcohol he drank, his attorney, Charles Clark, said during the virtual hearing.

Judge N. Peter Conforti ordered Princz be released from the Morris County jail on Monday, six days after his arrest for vehicular homicide. Conforti instructed him not to drive or ingest alcohol or controlled dangerous substances and surrender his passport. Someone may drive him to work and to medical appointments.

Erin Moore, 41, was killed around 5:30 p.m. when Princz's BMW 540i sedan crossed over the southbound lane of Route 181, also known as Woodport Road, and struck her Hyundai Tucson head-on, records show. She died shortly after at Newton Medical Center, police said.

Brent Rafuse, a Sussex County assistant prosecutor, raised concerns that Princz is a danger to himself and others if released, stating that despite his license being revoked, nothing could prevent him from getting behind the wheel. He also said no one could monitor his alcohol intake, since it is self-reported to court staff.

"The only way to prevent him from getting behind the wheel is for him to be incarcerated during the pendency of his trial," Rafuse said. "The weight of evidence is strong and the charges exceedingly serious."

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Authorities said Princz was also speeding at the time of the crash; The sports sedan was traveling 69 mph in a 35 mph zone around a curve three seconds before the head-on collision, Rafuse said, citing expert reports.

Princz was eating appetizers and lunch and drinking sangrias at a Mexican restaurant with his fiancé from 1:30 p.m. until 5 p.m., according to prosecutors. Princz claims he was not as intoxicated as the reports show: his fiancé said he had three sangrias, but servers at the restaurant said he had seven.

"He at least is not agreeing that he was that intoxicated, not agreeing he would have been at that level (of intoxication)," Clark said.

A pitcher of sangria was found in Princz's car, which he had taken "to go," according to court records obtained by the New Jersey Herald. Princz told a paramedic after the crash, while in and out of consciousness, he had consumed "a few beers," the records state.

Princz suffered head and back injuries from the crash and appeared Monday with a large vertical gash across his head. His attorney said Princz will undergo an MRI this week to determine if there is a head injury.

Fourteen letters in support of Princz were submitted to the court, with friends and family calling the incident an "aberration." Princz has lived in Sparta since 2016 and previously lived in Wayne for 32 years, where he attended high school. He works as a claims manager at BMW of North Jersey in Bergen County and it is believed he is welcome back at work, his attorney said.

The judge said at the end of the hearing that his decision was in "no way" detracting from the severity of the loss of life and the consequences for Moore's family, but said there were appropriate conditions that could ensure Princz is not a danger to the public. Princz does not have a criminal record and has a relatively minor driving record.

Prosecutors said they are discussing the possibility of adding a first-degree charge for aggravated manslaughter, but are awaiting additional information from experts. Princz is facing a second-degree charge for vehicular homicide.

Princz was taken into custody at his home on Feb. 22. He is also facing charges for driving while intoxicated, having an open container of alcohol, reckless driving, careless driving, failure to maintain lane and failure to keep right.

Moore was a married mother of two children and worked as an EMT, paramedic and emergency room nurse in New York City throughout the COVID pandemic, according to her obituary. She eventually joined the labor and delivery team and was pursuing additional schooling with the goal of becoming a midwife.

Princz is expected back in court in late March.

Lori Comstock can also be reached on Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH, on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/LoriComstockNJH or by phone: 973-383-1194.

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Fatal Sparta NJ crash: Township man released from jail