December 2011 Archives

Brian Broust refused to pull over when police tried to stop him for a suspected DUI. A police chase was initiated, but the pursuit was called off shortly due to weather conditions. The 21-year-old Broust continued to speed away and got into a car crash, killing the York County DUI suspect.

The crash occurred in the early morning hours last Friday, reports WGAL. At 2:37 a.m., police reported that they attempted to stop a vehicle on North George Street for suspicion of DUI. The vehicle failed to yield for the officer and a pursuit briefly followed for two blocks on North George Street near Masonic Drive.

There were hundreds of DUI arrests and accidents in the Philadelphia-area during 2011, and we covered the most interesting on this blog. The Philadelphia DUI stories ranged from the tragic to the comedic, involving high-ranking politicians, celebrities, and low-life criminals.

As 2011 winds down, we recap the top 5 Philadelphia DUI stories of 2011:

NBC correspondent Jay Gray was vying to get an exclusive interview with Jerry Sandusky. So the news reporter went to the home of Sandusky's attorney, Joe Amendola, and reportedly got liquored up at a gathering of reporters.

However, Gray apparently did not land the interview, though he could land himself in jail, reports The Atlantic Wire. At the party, Gray allegedly had too much to drink, and as he drove home, he was arrested for a DUI. Now "Jay Gray DUI" is making headlines, as opposed to Gray's potential exclusive Sandusky interview.

Jean McCarthy got into a minor car accident over the weekend in Toms River, New Jersey. The 71-year-old woman was not injured in the accident and her 74-year-old husband came to pick her up. As the couple drove home, their car was struck head-on by a drunk driver in a second accident.

Jean McCarthy was killed in the Toms River DUI and her husband was seriously injured, reports The Associated Press.

If you're skiing in the Poconos this holiday season, you should be aware that the Poconos and its surrounding communities are conducting increased holiday drunk driving enforcement through the New Year.

Beginning December 16, the North Central Regional DUI Enforcement Program is enhancing roving patrols and sobriety checkpoints through January 2, 2012, reports PoconoNews.net.

Former Philadelphia cop William Haviland was arrested for a DUI after leaving a Tacony bar. However, a Breathalyzer test showing Haviland to have a blood alcohol content (BAC) above the legal limit was not used at his trial due to an inaccurate calibration of the device.

So, a Philadelphia judge found that there was not enough evidence proving that Haviland was drunk and decided the former cop was not guilty of the DUI, reports the Philadelphia Daily News.

We’ve written before about high blood alcohol content DUIs, aggravated DUIs, and other distracted driving related to drug and alcohol use. However, we’ve written very little about what the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) considers the “new DUI,” driving while distracted by cell phones and smart phones.

Now, in a sweeping proposal, the NTSB is urging all states to consider a nationwide cell phone ban while driving, including a ban on the use of hands free devices. The ban would outlaw both talking on cell phones and text messaging while driving, though it would still allow drivers to use devices integrated to their vehicles, reports CNN.

Erik Jenkinson was allegedly speeding and weaving about his lane when he caused a crash on Interstate 78 in Upper Macungie Township. While his crash was newsworthy, it was his behavior afterwards that made all the headlines.

When Pennsylvania troopers got to the accident scene, Jenkinson allegedly stripped down to his birthday suit, told the cops he loved them, and fled on foot, reports the Sentinel & Enterprise.

Former Philadelphia police officer Matthew Sharkey pleaded guilty in June to driving drunk and injuring two state troopers and a tow truck driver. This week, he learned that he will spend up to 23 months in prison. He will also be on probation for six years.

The former cop had asked for only 10 years probation and no jail time, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer. However, the judge was not so lenient, despite the fact that Sharkey had been considered a good cop.

A woman was stopped for violating traffic restrictions in a construction zone. A few minutes later, she had run over a cop, twice, and fled to a different state. Now the unidentified woman faces New Jersey DUI charges and Pennsylvania charges for assaulting a police officer.

The Philadelphia DUI stop started when Officer Kim Kleposki witnessed the woman driving erratically in a construction zone at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital near 10th and Sansom streets, reports ABC.

A Walmart DUI was reported in South Union Township. Ryan Springer either started drinking real early, or he had a really long night out, as the 23-year-old man was arrested for a DUI at about 10:00 in the morning after allegedly speeding through two crowded retail parking lots.

Police say that Springer sped through a Walmart parking lot before hitting a 60-foot steel storage container, reports the Beaver County Times. Springer then tried to leave the scene before police caught up with him.

Megan Rossi had Nordiazepam, Oxazepam, Clonazepam, Alprazplam, Oxycodone, and 7-Amino Clonazepam in her system when she drove off the road and struck a man mowing his lawn, reports The Philadelphia Inquirer.

While none of these drugs are illegal drugs like marijuana or cocaine, Rossi still faces drugged driving charges and could see jail time for critically injuring the victim.

The ARD and the ignition interlock rule: In a case having statewide ramifications, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that acceptance into the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program counts as a DUI conviction when determining whether someone needs to install the ignition interlock device.

In Pennsylvania, someone convicted of two or more DUIs within a ten-year period is generally required to install the ignition interlock device, reports The Times-Leader. The device ensures that the driver is sober before allowing them to operate the vehicle.