Legal weed is a possibility for New Jersey this year. While the state currently allows medicinal use of cannabis for residents with a prescription, the legalization of recreational use and possession would change the game in a major way. Currently, there are only six medical marijuana dispensaries in all of New Jersey. If legal recreational weed becomes a reality, that number could grow exponentially. Cannabis could be delivered to users’ doorsteps, like a hot and ready pizza. Hotels and casinos would be allowed to dedicate up to 20% of their available space to creating areas for guests to use legal…Read More
Americans need to give a bit of thought to their drinking habit on the fourth of July apart from the celebrations. Fourth of July is considered one of the deadliest days along with Christmas holidays and new year’s eve when it comes to drunk driving. It is one of those days when celebrations end up in tragedy as a result of drunken driving fatalities. Statistics show that July 4 had the second highest percent of car crash deaths, between the years 2010 and 2014, which are linked to alcohol use. The top 10 deadliest days are summarized below along with…Read More
23-year-old Arthur A. Lewis, of Trenton, New Jersey, was accused of driving recklessly at high speed after his vehicle crashed on Interstate 95 in Bucks County early Friday morning. Lewis was driving under the influence and was charged with third-degree murder and related offenses. One of his passengers, 22-year-old Javairia Mahmood, was killed in the crash. Two other passengers, who were traveling in the back seat, sustained injuries. Lewis was also charged with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence. According to reports, Lewis was spotted driving an Acura sedan by two Pennsylvania State Police troopers. They spotted him…Read More
A woman, who was sitting in a parked car near the 1800 block of South 13th Street in South Philadelphia, was killed when her vehicle was struck Saturday afternoon by a motorist who was suspected to be driving under the influence of intoxicants. The incident took place shortly after 3 p.m. when a 59-year-old motorist hit three parked cars. The motorist was driving on the 1800 block of South 13th Street. As the motorist hit the victim’s vehicle, her car was pushed into a fourth parked car. The motorist tried to remove the license plate from his vehicle but after…Read More
24-year-old Damian Toalombo of Allentown was killed early Saturday morning, just after midnight Friday, in Hilltown Township. According to police reports, a BMW, which was driving on the wrong side of the road crashed head-on into a Kia Sephia which was being driven by Toalombo. The driver of the BMW was identified as 26-year-old Noelle Theresa Chew and was charged with homicide by vehicle, driving under the influence and other related offenses. The BMW driver sustained minor injuries. She “created a disturbance” in the ambulance after the crash and also refused treatment. Court records show that Chew pleaded guilty to…Read More
The Pennsylvania Superior Court has ruled that anyone who refuses to submit to a blood test cannot be penalized. The ruling was passed after a Chester County man was convicted of driving under the influence. According to the court, the individual was wrongfully penalized during his sentencing for refusing to submit to a blood test. The decision was based on a 2016 U.S. Supreme Court ruling – Birchfield v. North Dakota – by Senior Judge John Musmanno who wrote that blood tests without a warrant are an unconstitutional invasion of privacy. The ruling was based on a unanimous three-judge panel.…Read More
According to police reports, the crash that killed a 22-year-old woman and severely injured another at 11th and Market Streets in November was fueled by speed and booze. The incident was caused by 47-year-old David Gonzalez of Rhawnhurst who was driving his pickup truck while drunk at a speed of at least 59 mph. Court papers allege in an affidavit of probable cause that Gonzalez’s blood alcohol concentration level was recorded at 0.10 percent shortly after the crash that took place on 13 November at around 2:19 a.m. This was well over the legal driving limit of 0.08 percent. Skid…Read More
Fourth of July weekend is considered the third most deadliest period of the year involving drunken-driving fatalities. This fourth of July weekend, police across Pennsylvania have been adjusting to new rules and standards to pursue DUI cases. These changes have been necessitated by a recent ruling passed by the U.S. Supreme Court. Law enforcement authorities throughout Pennsylvania remained on guard during the fourth of July holiday weekend to make sure that drunken drivers are kept off roads. According to Joseph Gleason, Chief of the West Goshen Police Department in Chester County, his officers began adjusting to the new standards immediately.…Read More
21-year-old Colin Murphy of the 600 block of Appaloosa Street in Schwenksville was arrested and charged early Thursday with driving drunk and aggravated assault. The arrest took place shortly after he struck a Philadelphia police sergeant with his car in Manayunk before he took off. According to the police, Murphy was picked up after a tow-truck operator monitoring police scanner transmissions heard of the accident and saw Murphy’s 2008 Toyota Rav-4 near Ridge Avenue and Conarroe Street. The operator called the police who stopped Murphy about a block away and took him into custody. Just before 1 a.m. Thursday, Murphy…Read More
According to reports, Philadelphia police have been using improperly calibrated breathalyzer machines which may affect up to 1,000 DUI cases in Philly. A private attorney from Port Richmond notified the department Wednesday that the police were using calibrations that had legally expired. The statement was given Thursday evening by police spokesman Lt. John Stanford. Stanford also stated that all instruments were immediately removed from service as a result of the discovery. They were returned to service the same day after being properly calibrated. The District Attorney’s Office was asked by the department to conduct a review of the cases which…Read More