Sergio Bichao

@sbichao

NEW BRUNSWICK – The Middlesex County Sheriff's Office is investigating a report that a another one of its employees caused a car accident because of distracted driving.

Sheriff's Officer Ed Francoeur, 33, admittedly blew through a stop sign in the Colonia section of Woodbridge on Oct. 29, causing a teen driver to T-bone Francoeur's county-owned vehicle. The crash report does not indicate that Francoeur was issued a ticket or summons by responding police, and no injuries were reported.

This is the second reported distracted-driving incident by a Sheriff's Office employee in two years. Last year, Sheriff Mildred "Millie" Scott went after a Sheriff's investigator who ran a red light in Piscataway reportedly while using his cell phone.

Scott's reprimand of the investigator — beginning with an extended suspension followed by termination — is the subject of a lawsuit filed this year by former Investigator Dominick Semenza, who is claiming the Scott violated his rights by compelling him to produce his personal cell phone records.

Semenza is among several current and former employees that Scott has reprimanded or terminated in a controversial effort to rid her department of people she considered wrongdoers, including employees implicated in former Sheriff Joseph Spicuzzo's jobs-for-cash scheme.

A number of these employees are suing Scott and the county, arguing that she overstepped her bounds and unfairly and selectively targeted employees.

Reached on Wednesday, Scott declined to elaborate on the investigation into Francoeur's accident.

"I'm aware there was an accident with the officer. That's all I can tell you," Scott said. "The proper paperwork is being completed. It's being investigated."

According to a Woodbridge Police accident report obtained by MyCentralJersey.com, Francoeur was traveling northbound on Roosevelt Avenue about 12:35 p.m. while a 17-year-old driver was traveling eastbound on Central with the right of way.

The police officer who responded to the scene reported that Francoeur was "looking at some paperwork, did not see the stop sign and he entered the intersection."

The police officer said the sheriff's officer was "at fault for failure to observe (the) stop sign."

Semenza's accident happened June 21, 2013. He told police he ran a red light because he was distracted during a call with headquarters. Semenza was not given a ticket or summons.

But Semenza's superiors believed he was lying because the victim of the crash told Piscataway police that he had seen Semenza look down at what appeared to be his cell phone.

Scott ordered Semenza and his attorney to produce his cell phone records, which the county used to claim that he had been using his cell phone at the time of the accident and that he tried to cover up. Semenza's partner, Joseph Iko, was suspended for five days by Scott, who believed that he had lied for Semenza.

FULL COVERAGE: Middlesex County sheriff controversies

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•Another Middlesex sheriff's officer causes distracted driving accident

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Staff Writer Sergio Bichao: 908-243-6615; sbichao@mycentraljersey.com