A man is in custody after a 20-year-old student was struck by a vehicle, according to local sources. Pennsylvania authorities in Delaware County arrested a 42-year-old man, who now faces drunk driving charges amidst a litany of other charges pertaining to the case. He has been released after posting bail at his Dec. 14 court appearance. Bail had been set at $50,000 with a 10 percent cash provision.
According to the arrest record, the accident took place on Dec. 13. A 20-year-old female student at St. Joseph’s University was crossing a street in a crosswalk around 6:30 p.m. when the collision happened. The details of how the accident took place were not further reported, but the woman was rushed to a local hospital. Her condition was considered critical as of the following morning.
The man now faces charges of driving with a suspended license, simple assault, reckless endangerment, aggravated assault while DUI and DUI. If he is found guilty of these charges, he could lose his license and may also face jail time. There was no indication as to whether a roadside sobriety or blood test was administered by officers on the scene.
Pennsylvania prosecutors have the burden of proving this man was guilty of drunk driving at the time of the accident. They will need to provide compelling evidence of the man’s intoxication to meet the strict standards required by the criminal justice system. In the meantime, the man’s defense counsel will carefully review the facts of the case to assess whether the man’s rights were respected throughout the process, and to build a strong defense to the formal accusations.
Source: Marple Newtown, PA Patch, “Delco Man Charged With DUI After Hitting St Joe’s Student“, Max Bennett, Dec. 15, 2017
