SOUTH PLAINFIELD A North Plainfield man faces charges after he drove drunk for more than a mile along railroad tracks in the South Plainfield early Thursday and then left his passenger when the car became disabled, causing her to be critically injured after the car was struck by an oncoming freight train, authorities said.

Hector Espinel-Mendez, 20, is charged with aggravated assault, drunken driving, driving drunk as an underage person and reckless driving. He also was charged with criminal trespass by Norfolk-Southern Railroad.

Latoya Lorimer, 18, of Piscataway was injured in the crash, Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce Kaplan said.

Investigators found that Espinel-Mendez was drunk when he turned onto the railroad tracks at the New Brunswick Avenue intersection and drove along them for about 1.4 miles, Kaplan said. The car, a 1999 BMW, was about 350 feet from the railroad crossing at Front Street when it became disabled.

As the westbound freight train approached, Espinel-Mendez left Lorimer in the front seat of the car and fled, the prosecutor said in a statement. She was ejected from the car when the train struck the rear of the vehicle.

Lorimer was taken by helicopter to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. Kaplan said she was listed in critical but stable condition Thursday.

Espinel-Mendez returned to the scene and was arrested after the investigation. He was being held Thursday in lieu of $100,000 cash-only bail.

It was not immediately clear from Kaplan's statement if authorities believe Espinel-Mendez intended to leave the victim in the car or if he attempted to get her out before fleeing.

South Plainfield police officer Peter Magnani and Investigator Jeffrey Temple of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office investigated.

Kaplan asked anyone with information about the incident to call Magnani at 908-226-7693 or Temple 732-745-3373.