York County Man Tries to Flee DUI Checkpoint
A man from York County, Pennsylvania was arrested and charged recently after his vehicle collided with another vehicle while trying to flee a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) police checkpoint. The 21-year-old driver has been charged with attempting to elude or flee law enforcement, resisting arrest, DUI, failing to stop at an accident, and a number of other traffic violations.
The driver was stopped at a DUI checkpoint just before 1:15 a.m. on a Saturday morning. Law enforcement asked the driver to step out of his vehicle after they observed signs of him being intoxicated. Instead of exiting the vehicle as instructed by the law enforcement officers, the driver fled the DUI checkpoint by heading north on the I-83 Business Route at a high rate of speed.
The police-involved chase came to an end when the driver crashed his vehicle into another vehicle at the Springettsbury Avenue intersection. The suspect then attempted to flee the scene of the accident on foot and was taken into custody by the officers after a brief struggle. During the investigation of the incident, the I-83 Business Route North was closed near the scene of the accident for several hours.
The driver of the other vehicle was taken to the local hospital to receive medical treatment for injuries sustained in the accident. The suspect is now in jail and is facing a number of charges including DUI among others. Should the suspect be convicted of DUI, he could face a driver’s license suspension, monetary fines, an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) requirement, or even time in jail.
The penalties for being convicted of DUI in Pennsylvania and most other states across the country are often based on a number of different factors. Generally, penalties are harsher for felony DUI offenders as opposed to misdemeanor DUI offenders. Additionally, offenders with previous DUI convictions face harsher punishments than those drivers who do not have any DUIs on their record.
For those who are facing a first-time or repeat DUI offense, a felony or a misdemeanor, the best course of action is to always seek the legal advice of a knowledgeable DUI attorney. These legal professionals can review the facts of their client’s case, work with the state prosecutor, and attempt to get the charges reduced whenever possible. Offenders with proper legal representation usually fair better in DUI court than without.