CLEARFIELD COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) – Officials in Clearfield County are highlighting the dangers and consequences of driving under the influence on St. Patrick’s Day.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), the Clearfield County District Attorney’s Office, the Clearfield Regional Police Department, the Pennsylvania DUI Association (PA DUI), and the Highway Safety Network held a press conference at Shaw Public Library in Clearfield to push for sober driving.
“St. Patrick’s Day is meant to be a fun holiday; a lighthearted celebration,” Clearfield County District Attorney Ryan Sayers said. “Making a poor decision to get behind the wheel when intoxicated, however, can quickly turn that celebration into tragedy.”
According to preliminary data from PennDOT, in 2023 there were 380 crashes in Pennsylvania during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday period between Friday, March 17, and 6 a.m. Sunday, March 18. These resulted in 197 injuries and two fatalities. Impaired driving was determined to be the cause of many of those incidents.
Johnstown Atrium remains uninhabited after auctioning issues “You have to think about your fellow citizens, the other people that are on the roadways. And tragically here in Clearfield County, every year, we have to deal with multiple people driving under the influence and causing somebody else’s death,” Sayers said.
Officials say to prepare ahead of time and have a designated driver.
“Now is the time to start planning if you haven’t already,” Josh Woods, Community Traffic Safety Program Coordinator for the Highway Safety Network said. “Take advantage of public transportation options if they’re available to you and use ridesharing apps such as Uber or Lyft.”
It’s also imperative that drivers remember that driving under the influence doesn’t only mean driving while drinking alcohol.
“A majority of our DUIs now are drug-related, they’re not necessarily alcohol,” Sayers said. “Most are meth, THC, heroin, and then a smaller percentage are alcohol. So that has really flipped in the last five years from alcohol being the majority to now drugs being the majority.”
In addition to the risk of injuries and fatalities caused by DUI crashes, those driving impaired can face stiff legal penalties if caught.
“Pennsylvania laws have a tiered structure toward DUI enforcement and treatment and may include license suspension, fines, and jail time. The combination of an individual’s Blood Alcohol Content Concentration (BAC) level, and prior offenses, determines the penalties,” Clearfield Regional Police Assistant Chief Julie Curry said.
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Sayers added that consecutive sentencing is required for certain repeat DUI offenders and imposes an 18-month driving privilege suspension for a DUI conviction graded as a felony of the second degree. He said that a third DUI offense is now a felony of the third degree, punishable by up to seven years in prison in some circumstances and that a fourth DUI offense is now a felony of the second degree, punishable by up to 10 years in prison under certain circumstances.
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