Police officers are on the lookout for many signs to spot potential drunk drivers. These signs can include lane changing, speeding, or just sloppy driving.
For Pennsylvania state trooper, Chad Burgwald, that sign was when 47-year-old Heather DeLong came barreling down in her Chrysler, striking Burgwald’s parked police cruiser and sending the trooper to the hospital with serious injuries, reports the Daily Local News.
Last week, Burgwald was sitting in his cruiser in the grass median along Route 1 near Chester County. The trooper was monitoring traffic at about 1 p.m. when DeLong lost control of her car and rammed right into Burgwald's parked car in the median. The accident was so bad that Burgwald had to be freed from his car by rescue personnel, reports Daily Local News.
At the scene of the accident, police smelled alcohol on DeLong and when asked if she had been drinking, she said she had consumed wine earlier in the day. After she was given field sobriety tests, a preliminary breath test, and blood tests, DeLong was arrested for drunk driving, reports Daily Local News.
For striking and seriously injuring another person (cop or not) while driving drunk, DeLong faces aggravated assault by vehicle charges. If she is convicted, she could face up to ten years in jail for a second degree felony. Because she did strike a cop, DeLong could face harsh sentencing.
In contrast, had Heather DeLong injured trooper Chad Burgwald while driving sober, she would have only faced a third degree felony charge and up to seven years in jail.
Related Resources:
- Find a Philadelphia DUI Attorney (FindLaw)
- Pa. trooper hurt when car crashes into his vehicle (Beaver County Times)
- Pennsylvania DUI Laws (FindLaw)
- Ask A Question about DUI now (FindLaw Answers)
ShareThis
