Are Pa DUI lawyers seeing a trend among Pennsylvania Turnpike officials?
It seems that Pennsylvania Turnpike officials like to break the law. And quite often, they are caught red-handed.
For the third time in approximately one year, a Pennsylvania Turnpike official has been arrested. George Hatalowich, 44, was arrested earlier this month on charges of drunk driving. Hatalowich is the chief operating officer of the Pennsylvania Turnpike commission. Hatalowich allegedly drove a car that spun out of control on April 5. The car then crashed into a fence in Derry Township, Dauphin County.
But that wasn't the end of the tale. Hatalowich then drove off, heading north in a southbound lane.
At the time of the incident, Hatalowich had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.137 percent. Bear in mind that the legal limit in the state of Pennsylvania is 0.08 percent BAC.
Now, what happens if a public official is charged with a DUI? In the case of George Hatalowich, he will not face disciplinary action, given the fact that he was not driving a Commission vehicle. But that doesn't mean that the door to disciplinary action is closed, according to Carl DeFabo, a spokesperson for the Commission.
Indeed, Hatalowich's fate hangs in the balances-- the balances of justice, that is. He faces the charges, with his Pennsylvania DUI lawyer in tow, as he appears in May 26. Depending on the outcome of the May 26 hearing, DeFabo indicated that the Commission would make a determination at that time.
This is the second DUI offense for a Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission officer. The third official arrested in the past year was arrested for a non-DUI related offense.
Related Resources
- PA Turnpike Commissioner Resigns Over 2 DUIs (FindLaw's Philadelphia DUI Law Blog)
- Pennsylvania DUI Law (FindLaw)
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Find a PA DUI Attorney (FindLaw)
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