A Ruffsdale man will serve up to five years in prison for causing a vehicle crash along the railroad tracks in East Huntingdon that severely injured his two passengers.
John Woodward, 39, pleaded guilty this week to drunk driving and two counts of causing a crash resulting in injuries.
Police said Woodward was the driver of a vehicle found partially flipped over on Feb. 1, 2017, near Railroad Street. His two passengers were hospitalized. According to court records, Woodward had a blood-alcohol content of 0.235 percent after the crash. A motorist in Pennsylvania with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent is considered to be intoxicated.
Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rita Hathaway ordered Woodward to serve a sentence of 1 1/2-to-5 years in prison and pay a $1,000 fine. He was given credit for time served in jail since his arrest Dec. 20, 2017.
In exchange for Woodward’s guilty plea, prosecutors dismissed 11 counts and downgraded the most serious charges to misdemeanors.
Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich at 724-830-6293 or rcholodofsky@tribweb.com.
