Mansfield Township's DPW superintendent tried to conceal that he backed into a tree, police say.
A Mansfield Township employee faces charges after allegedly lying about how his township-owned SUV was damaged.
Kevin W. Ward, 56, is the superintendent of the township's public works department. On June 8, he allegedly told police that a tree limb had fallen on a township Ford Explorer on O'Brien Road, causing extensive damage to the rear hatch and roof, township police reported this week.
"The damage was inconsistent with what was reported," police said, and an investigation allegedly determined Ward had backed into a tree nearby.
Police also said that Ward tried to hide the damage on the tree by covering the spot with dirt, and that plastic from the Explorer had been thrown into the woods.
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Ward, of Lebanon Township, was charged on June 20 with making a false report to police, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to report an accident, careless driving and littering. He was issued a summons pending a court appearance, police said.
Ward did not immediately return a call for comment late Tuesday morning. Nor did Mayor Shirley Kocher.
Ward's current salary is $74,148, according to state pension data. There appeared to be no change in his employment status with the township as of Tuesday, according to the municipal clerk's office.
Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.