A college professor accused hitting a man with her and leaving him on side of road was denied entrance to a probation program.
NEWARK -- A college professor accused of striking a man with her car on the Garden State Parkway, then stopping to pick-up pieces of her vehicle before driving away, appeared in court Friday seeking to enter a probation program.
More than a year after the April 2015 accident, the professor, Usha Govindarajulu, was seeking to enter the Pre-Trial Intervention Program (PTI), even though the Essex County Prosecutor's Office had already denied her application. Getting into PTI could result in probation, and ultimately having all charges dropped from her record.
However, Superior Court Judge Peter Ryan rejected her appeal Friday, saying there was no evidence the prosecutor's office erred in denying her application.
The judge's ruling came after Govindarajulu's lawyer, Patrick Toscano, described his client as a highly educated person who made the mistake of leaving the scene.
"Is there a need to prosecute an Ivy-League-educated college professor when there is PTI" Toscano argued.
A different pictured of the defendant was presented by Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Tara Creegan, who said Govindarajulu approached the crash victim, Donald Drakeford, and put her hand on his fractured and mangled leg.
"She touched his leg. She touched his leg," Creegan said during Friday's court hearing. Creegan said Drakeford suffered multiple fractures and nearly had his foot amputated as a result of being struck by the car.
Govindarajulu, 44, of Jersey City, a professor at the State University of New York in Brooklyn, is charged with leaving the scene of an accident with a seriously injured person, and assault by auto for the accident on the southbound of the Parkway in Bloomfield.
About 1 a.m. on April 9, 2015, Govindarajulu pulled over to the shoulder of the highway and struck 63-year-old Drakeford, of Perth Amboy, authorities say.
They say Govindarajulu stopped and got out of her rented 2014 Nissan Altima, picked up a side view mirror and a side panel that had been knocked off her car. She then approached Drakeford and saw he was injured, prosecutors say.
Toscano, told a much different story of the accident. He said Govindarajulu, was forced to pull over to the shoulder because another vehicle was bearing down on her.
She pulled over and heard a bang, but never knew she had hit Drakeford, Toscano said.
He said Govindarajulu saw Drakeford, who was agitated and cursing and yelling for her to call 911.
Toscano said his client became scared, rushed back to her car, and called 911, then drove off.
Creegan countered that when Govindarajulu called 911, she blocked her cellphone number from appearing. Creegan said 911 calls from anybody who blocks their phone number never go through, so Govindarajulu never completed her call to get help and never made another attempt to report the accident.
Creegan said Drakeford and his children also opposed Govindarajulu application for PTI.
Tom Haydon may be reached at thaydon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Tom_HaydonSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.