SOMERVILLE -- A tentative trial date of April 2016 has been set for the son of ex-Giant Brad Benson on charges he struck a man from behind with his pickup truck in 2013 and fled the scene.
Clinton Benson (Somerset County Prosecutor's Office)
Clint Benson, who is out on bail, is charged with aggravated assault, assault by auto, endangering an injured victim and weapons offenses. Benson is accused of hitting Flemington resident Richard Lachner with his Nissan Frontier pickup around 3 a.m. on March 17, 2013, on Woodfern Road in Branchburg.
On Friday, Superior Court Judge Julie M. Marino, sitting in Somerset County, said she would issue a decision in the next two weeks regarding a Miranda hearing concerning statements Benson allegedly made after the incident.
She also scheduled a hearing for February to determine if the results of breathalyzer test administered to Benson immediately after the incident will be admissible in court. A pre-trial hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 24 as well.
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Benson, 23, of Hillsborough rejected a plea deal from the prosecution of a seven-year prison sentence earlier this year. He would have had to serve nearly six years before becoming eligible for parole, Somerset County Assistant Prosecutor Frank Kolodzieski said at the time.
The alleged hit-and-run occurred after Lachner confronted Benson, who was seated in his truck, about his reckless driving, authorities have said. As Lachner was walking back toward a restaurant, Benson struck him from behind and continued driving south on Woodfern Road, authorities have said.
Lachner was later treated for internal injuries, a fractured skull, a broken hand and cuts, authorities have said.
Benson was discovered a short distance away after he crashed his vehicle into a guardrail, leaving the truck inoperable, authorities have said. Prosecutors have said his blood alcohol content was 0.20 percent, more than twice the legal limit.
Benson's father, who played with the Giants from 1978 to 1988 and won a Super Bowl in 1986, owns a successful car dealership in South Brunswick.
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com.Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.