A man in Penn Township was recently arrested on a driving under the influence when he caused a wreck going the wrong way on the highway. The man, Jonathan Lukart, is from Trafford and was driving on Route 130 early morning last week when he caused the crash.
The entirety of the crash, including about a minute of erratic driving, was caught on video by a passenger in the car behind Lukart. For that minute, the two men in the car behind can be heard on the video talking about how the car in front of them was going to crash. The driver also laid on his horn for several seconds to warn Lukart that he was on the wrong side of the road.
For those familiar with Penn Township, the man started recording the video when Lukart was near S and T Bank across from Pleasant Valley Road. They continued recording until the accident happened right before Lucci’s Restaurant. However, the men did not call 911 while they were recording. This drew some ire from people on social media when they posted the video. However, Penn Township police chief John Otto stated calling 911 would not have prevented the crash. Even though the police station was only a minute away from the location of the accident, the process of calling and dispatching an officer would have taken much longer.
When Lukart crashed, the left front side of his car went up on top of the other driver’s hood before falling back onto the road. According to Otto, the other driver was not seriously injured.
Otto also said that, in a similar situation, it is ideal to call 911 immediately. After all, it is legal to make a phone call while driving in Pennsylvania. However, the video they recorded will go a long way in the criminal case against Lukart.
This isn’t the first time Lukart has been arrested for drunk driving. Back in February of 2015, he was arrested in Trafford for aggravated assault bu vehicle while driving under the influence, DUI and other driving charges. He is awaiting trial in Westmoreland County.
If you have been arrested for drunk driving or any other related charges, you don’t have to face them alone. The expert attorneys at Steven E. Kellis Law Firm have years of experience defending those charged with DUI. You can call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your initial consultation is free. Call now.