When Pennsylvania police investigate a crash scene, they often ask those involved and any witnesses numerous questions. If a person winds up being taken into police custody or charged with a crime in connection with the incident, any verbal responses that he or she gave to police during preliminary investigations may be used against the individual in court. A young man who was 19 when he was involved in a collision in 2021 reportedly told police at the time that he drank alcohol before getting behind the wheel to drive his Subaru.
The man had a passenger in his vehicle when a crash occurred. His vehicle collided with a Fed Ex truck. Sadly, the 20-year-old female passenger in the Subaru was killed in the collision.
Police claim to have smelled alcohol on the driver’s breath
Police who responded to the crash scene later said that they smelled alcohol on the man’s breath when they were interviewing him after the accident. They also say that the man told them that he had been to a house party earlier that day and had been drinking alcohol. When reconstruction investigators reviewed details of the events leading up the crash, they determined that speed and perhaps alcohol were key factors.
Criminal charges have been filed and a preliminary hearing is set
A preliminary hearing was set for mid-May. The man has been charged with homicide by vehicle, unsafe driving and DUI. Any Pennsylvania motorist who winds up facing criminal charges after a collision can seek immediate legal support by scheduling a consultation with an experienced criminal defense attorney. This type of support is helpful to an accused individual, especially in discerning what type of defense strategy has the best chance of helping to mitigate a particular set of circumstances in court.