Bucks County resident Stephen Andrew Strassburg pleaded guilty to reckless driving, driving on a suspended license and under the influence of "metabolites of marijuana," according to The Reporter. The resulting head-on collision from supposed drugged driving claimed the life of 50-year-old Philadelphia man Wayne Cooper.
Blood tests showed traces of marijuana and the drug clonazepam in his system at the time of the crash, however it's not clear if he was in fact impaired at the time. A Pennsylvania DUI attorney can provide more information about the matter, but state law makes it illegal to operate a vehicle with even traces of marijuana in the bloodstream.
Since marijuana stays in the system for up to several weeks after its use, Stephen Strassburg's level of impairment is questionable.
But he clearly was driving without a license and in a reckless manner when his vehicle, going 61 mph in a 45 mph zone, crossed the center line and impacted with the car containing Wayne Cooper and passenger Tyrone Moore, who was seriously injured.
Stephen Strassburg's open plea means he has no deals with the prosecution. He remains held without bail and faces a prison sentence of between 10 1/2 and 21 years. Pennsylvania DUI attorney Christopher Mullaney, representing the defendant, said his client is remorseful and wants to accept full responsibility for his actions:
"He's been in jail for almost a year and he's had plenty of time to think about his decision to drive that night."
The charge that drugs were present in his bloodstream represents a probation violation stemming from a sentence he received two years ago for an earlier DUI conviction. He may be sentenced to an additional six months jail time for that case, in which he pleaded guilty to DUI after leading police on a high-speed chase.
Stephen Strassburg's blood-alcohol content at the time of the earlier arrest was recorded at 0.16 percent, double the legal limit.
Related Resources:
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DUI - The Basics (FindLaw)
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Man Calls 911 to Report Missing Marijuana, Gets DUI (FindLaw's Legally Weird Blog)
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Browse Pennsyvlania DUI Attorneys (FindLaw)
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