Police Allege Drunken Wrong-Way Driver Slammed into 'Heroic' N.J. State Trooper’s Car By Sean Neumann

A Pennsylvania man has been charged with a DUI after allegedly driving drunk the wrong way down an interstate and slamming head-on into a state trooper’s car.

New Jersey State Police shared an image of the trooper’s smashed up vehicle on social media Tuesday, Dec. 16. The front of the police SUV can be seen damaged with its front left tire twisted inward. 

The police department recounted the trooper’s “heroic” decision to drive towards the drunk driver in an effort to stop him after receiving a call shortly after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday morning about a car driving the wrong way down Interstate 80 in Warren County.

“Recognizing the immediate and life-threatening danger, a New Jersey State Trooper took decisive action—driving ahead of oncoming eastbound traffic and initiating a traffic slowdown to prevent motorists from colliding with the wrong-way driver,” New Jersey State Police said in a social media post. “While conducting that slowdown, with vehicles safely behind him, the trooper was struck by the wrong-way driver.”

New Jersey State Police said “both the trooper and the occupant of the other vehicle suffered minor injuries.”

“Still, the trooper’s swift, selfless, and heroic actions prevented any other motorists from being injured or possibly killed,” the police department added in the post. “The driver was charged with driving while under the influence.”

Robert Felegi, 67, of Middleport, Pa., was later arrested and charged with one count of driving under the influence and another count of assault by auto, according to local Lehigh Valley Live, the Patch and WFMZ.

Felegi was taken into custody following the head-on crash, while the trooper was taken to a local hospital, according to Lehigh Valley Live.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

The local outlet reported that the New Jersey State Trooper had his emergency lights and sirens activated at the time of the crash in an attempt to alert the other drivers on the interstate.

“Let this serve as a powerful reminder,” the department said, “one poor decision can have devastating consequences.”