DUI
PA DUI News
DUI Pennsylvania Cop Crashes Into Other Cops
Off-duty officer injures two other cops in drunk driving incident in Western PA.
An off-duty police officer was charged with driving under the influence in Pennsylvania after he crashed his H3 Hummer into two parked police cruisers. The squad cars were parked near a police roadblock when Thomas Walker hit them around 2:00 am Friday, injuring one officer in each vehicle.
Police said that Walker lives in Cecil Township and is employed in nearby South Fayette. The vehicles he struck were from neighboring Bridgeville, southwest of Pittsburgh. The two officers were investigating a report of shots being fired. Walker was placed in a squad car while officers responding to the scene checked on the injured men. Walker however got out the squad car and started walking away, ignoring the instructions of the police. He was handcuffed and returned to the squad car.
The two injured officers are in stable condition in a local hospital. Walker was also taken to a hospital, where a blood sample was taken to check for blood alcohol content. He was booked on suspicion of DUI in PA and aggravated assault.
The South Fayette police chief said that the department would conduct an internal investigation before considering action against Walker.
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Priest Nabbed for Pennsylvania DUI
Monsignor in Central PA had BAC 4 times the legal limit.
Police in Central Pennsylvania charged a Catholic priest with driving under the influence of alcohol. According to the arrest report, Monsignor Anthony B. Little rear-ended a stopped vehicle on Thanksgiving. He failed four field sobriety tests and registered a blood-alcohol content of .34%, more than four times the .08% legal limit for DUI in PA. The occupant of the other car was not injured.
Monsignor Little denied having a drinking problem and expressed regret, saying "It was just a stupid thing" and citing "poor judgment" following a family gathering. While not extending an excuse, Little said that it was the first family gathering since the death of his younger brother, and said "I guess it was just the time missing him."
A spokesperson with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Altoona-Johnstown said the episode is a personal matter and declined to comment. Little remains in his role as pastor at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Newry, Pennsylvania, about 85 miles east of Pittsburgh.
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Pennsylvania DUI for Amish Man with Horse and Buggy
Slow moving horse still earns drunk driving charge in Lancaster County PA.
An Amish man was charged with driving under the influence in Pennsylvania after being found passed out with the reins to his buggy in his hands. Around 9:00 pm, police were alerted to the slow moving horse and buggy traveling at a walking pace in the middle of the road. Elmer Stoltzfoos Fisher was found passed out in his ‘vehicle’. Investigating officers pounded on the buggy door to arouse Fisher. He showed signs of intoxication and reported registered a blood alcohol content of .18% on a breath test, more than twice the legal threshold in Pennsylvania.
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Former Pittsburgh News Anchor Arrested
Don Cannon arrested in California for failure to serve PA DUI sentences.
Former Pittsburgh news anchor Don Cannon was arrested in Southern California on November 17 for failure to serve Pennsylvania drunk driving sentences. Cannon, 69, was arrested on a bench warrant issued by Allegheny County in association with two incidents of driving under the influence in western Pennsylvania.
Cannon was supposed to begin serving house arrest and probation for PA DUI last month. He moved to Carlsbad California after pleading guilty to drunk driving in Pennsylvania in 2008. The Allegheny County Sheriff’s Department also learned that Cannon had been arrested for DUI in California.
Cannon, whose real name is Donald Clark, worked for WTAE-TV and KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh. He is being held in the San Diego County jail pending extradition to Pennsylvania. Cannon’s DUI defense lawyer has been in communication with the Allegheny County judge assigned to the case.
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Pennsylvania Man Accidently Kills His Identical Twin Brother
PA DUI considered as alcohol was involved in parking accident.
Timothy Willgruber, 56, was trying to parallel park a minivan last Saturday afternoon when he killed his identical twin brother, Thomas. Thomas was outside the vehicle guiding his brother into a parking spot when Timothy apparently lost control and pinned him against an SUV. Thomas died later in the day after being taken to a hospital.
Bethlehem Police investigating the scene reported that Timothy Willgruber failed a field sobriety test. Police are considering charges, including driving under the influence in Pennsylvania.
Thomas Willgruber's wife called the incident a "freak accident" and was felt it was not the right time to worry about blame. The twins reportedly were best friends and spoke on a regular basis.
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New Technology to Fight Pennsylvania DUI
Lycoming County DUI Task Force adds tool to its efforts.
The efforts of law enforcement agencies to identify and apprehend motorists suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol in Pennsylvania have been effective, though tools to detect impairment from drugs have lagged. The Lycoming County DUI Task Force hopes that a new piece of equipment changes that.
A pupillometer is being deployed that allows an officer to test a PA DUI suspect for impairment from prescription, over the counter and illicit drugs. The hand-held device is meant to establish probable cause to continue a DUI investigation. It scans the pupils of a suspect and compares the readings to a database with over 3 million images of people known to have drugs in their system. The officer must have special training to operate the equipment and receive Drug Recognition Expert certification.
The pupillometer is said to be 97% accurate, though the efficiency drops for those over 50 years of age, under 16 and for women who are pregnant.
The device and an accompanying computer cost about $11,300. A highway safety grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation paid for Lycoming County’s equipment. Two additional Pennsylvania DUI devices have been put into service in York and King of Prussia. A fourth is expected to be deployed soon in western Pennsylvania.
Statistics show 52,300 arrested for driving under the influence in PA during 2008. 9,000 of those were also charged with impairment from drugs and an estimated 60% of motorists arrested for DUI in Pennsylvania are multiple drug users.
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Number of Pursuits by Pennsylvania Police Drops
PA DUI is third most common reason for vehicle pursuits.
The Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner released statistics showing a drop in the number of police pursuits during 2008. A total of 1,809 pursuits were made last year, compared to 1,931 during 2007. Deaths resulting from a pursuit were also down, from thirteen in 2007 to nine in 2008.
The figures reflect actions undertaken by law enforcement agencies across the state. The most common reason for initiating a pursuit was a traffic violation, such as speeding (910 pursuits). Felony criminal charges (260), driving under the influence in Pennsylvania (239) and stolen vehicles (227) were the other most cited reasons. Of all the pursuits initiated, 1,301 resulted in apprehension.
According to state law, each law enforcement agency must have a written policy for vehicle pursuit, including when to initiate, continue or terminate a pursuit. Because of safety concerns, such information is considered confidential and not available to the public. A pursuit is defined as a motorist resisting apprehension by increasing speed or ignoring indications to stop.
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Record Number of Pennsylvania DUI Arrests in 2008
State troopers charge over 16,000 with drunk driving in PA.
State Police released arrest figures showing more than 16,156 motorists were charged with driving under the influence in Pennsylvania. That is the highest number in the department’s history and a 3% increase over the previous year’s total.
The increase in PA DUI arrests is attributed to police training and targeted enforcement. Specially trained Pennsylvania troopers utilized ‘Operation Nighthawk’ to search for drunk driving. The department has also expanded its drug recognition program to identify motorists operating under the influence of prescription or illegal drugs.
Despite the additional arrests, the number of alcohol related accidents was down 3% and the number of DUI related fatalities was down 9% from 2007.
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Man Claims Novel Pennsylvania DUI Defense
44-year old accused of drunk driving in Northampton County says he is his own country.
Scott Allan Witmer is accused of driving under the influence in Pennsylvania. In his defense, he filed paperwork claiming sovereignty and thus immunity from state laws. He told the court, “I live inside myself, not in Pennsylvania.” He added that there was no victim in the drunk driving offense and asked to go to trial.
A Northampton County judge said the 44-year old defendant cannot be released from jail until he undergoes a mental examination. A Pennsylvania DUI lawyer is on standby for a more conventional legal defense.
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'State Patty's Day' Event in Pennsylvania Generates 311 Calls to Police
Viral party begun by Penn State students leads to 14 PA DUI arrests.
An early St. Patrick's Day celebration started by Penn State students led to a spike in police calls, crime and drunk driving arrests in State College, Pennsylvania. Dubbed 'State Patty’s Day', the weekend party generated 311 calls to police, 79 criminal arrests, 21 alcohol overdoses, 31 noise citations and 14 arrests for driving under the influence in PA.
This is the third year for the event, which is primarily promoted through social networking web sites, such as Facebook. One organizer said he asked participants to "celebrate safely". This year’s event reportedly drew alumni and students from other schools besides Penn State. There were a total of 262 calls to police last year.
The demand for police stretched the city's services, leading many to criticize the focus and impact of the event. Some noted the use of ambulances to carry inebriated revelers, which left limited medical personnel for other types of emergency. A spokesperson with the State College police department said the scale of the event and potential danger to the public was evident by the number of arrests made for Pennsylvania DUI even with overworked manpower.
Campus and city law enforcement officers are hoping the crime rate decreases on the real St. Patrick's Day, now that the students have celebrated.
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