Trial Opens for DUI Deaths of Motorists
August 18, 2010 by Louise40 · 10 Comments
Stemming from an incident that took place on September 6, 2009, Brian O’Neill, a 20 year old West Nantmeal man, is facing multiple charges including homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence of a controlled substance. On that day, prosecutors say that O’Neill had been smoking “high grade” marijuana before driving his Dodge pickup truck up an exit ramp, crashing into and killing George Parker and Diane Washington. O’Neill’s attorney has told the jury that the prosecution must prove not only that O’Neill had been smoking marijuana, but also that “it was actively intoxicating him and causing his driving to be impaired” at the time of the crash. If found guilty of the two charges of homicide by vehicle while DUI, O’Neill could face two, 3-6 year prison sentences, and may have to serve them one after another.
Authority, City Looking to Improve Downtown Parking with Monitors and Boots
July 26, 2010 by Louise40 · 5 Comments
Pottsville’s City Council and parking authority are teaming up to look for ways to “improve parking in the downtown area.” However, it looks like, in reality, they’re simply looking for ways to increase revenue from parking. Amy Burkhart, executive director of the Pottsville Area Development Corp. has discussed using the private company, Street Smart Technology, to plant sensors at parking meters and one-hour parking spaces in order to monitor parking. The sensors, which will cost $30, are planted underground and can send messages through the internet to the parking authority – on anything ranging from maintenance problems to cars that have exceeded time limits. In addition to the parking sensors, the city is also looking into purchasing a few parking immobilization devices (or boots) to crack down on scofflaws. According to City Administrator Thomas A. Palamar, the boots would cost between $200 and $500 each.
Philadelphia Parking Authority is Out of Control
July 19, 2010 by Louise40 · 5 Comments
The PPA is completely out of control. I could see the agent approaching my car from down the block. I knew I probably didn’t have much time left on my meter so I started jogging and waving my arms. She looked up, clearly saw me, and wrote the ticket as quickly as possible. She wasn’t even a quarter of the way through writing it, when I got to my car – and she still wrote it.
Meter-Certification Law Means Courts Could Toss York Parking Tickets
July 4, 2010 by Louise40 · 220 Comments
York’s Parking Bureau is facing a situation in which every parking meter ticket issued in the county could be invalidated. This is due to the realization that a Pennsylvania law, requiring all timing devices, including parking meters, be certified every three years. Not only have York’s parking meters not been certified, but many officials say they weren’t even aware of the law – despite significant media coverage. At a recent meeting, several district judges asked city officials if all existing tickets should be nullified, but were told “No.” The situation is not unique to York County. Parking tickets across the state have been thrown out because parking meters weren’t certified. Although the law was passed in 1996, the fact that many officials were unaware of it, has left them “scrambling” to certify the machines – a difficult task considering York is one of 18 counties that handles its own inspections, and they only have one inspector. (They are in the process of training other city employees in order to add to that number.) In the meantime, people such as Sarah Emig, 20, are successfully contesting their parking meter tickets. Emig, who racked up five such tickets in the span of a year, cited the certification law and won. “I’m not really a loud person or outgoing, and I’ve never been t court or anything. But I had to stay somewhat confident. I knew the meters weren’t inspected, and I knew they had to be.” All five tickets were dismissed.
Law Enforcement Keeping an Eye Out for Distracted Drivers
April 9, 2010 by Louise40 · 4 Comments
The Department of Transportation is kicking off a pilot program in two east-coast cities to see “whether increased law enforcement would reduce distracted driving.” The two cities are Syracuse, NY, and Hartford, CT, and will involve an increased presence on the road as well as a paid advertising campaign. The program will cost around $600,000 and is modeled after similar programs aimed at curbing drunk driving and improving seat-belt usage. “Law enforcement will be out on the roads with one simple message: If a driver is caught with a cell phone in one hand, they’ll end up with a ticket in the other,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
Phils Catcher Sardinha Faces DUI Charge
February 23, 2010 by Louise40 · 3 Comments
Philadelphia Phillies catcher, Dane Sardinha, 30, has been charged with driving under the influence after being pulled over and arrested by Clearwater police early yesterday morning. The Phillies claim they are aware of the situation, but have not commented on it yet.
