UPPER DARBY — The driver who struck a township police vehicle head on Tuesday afternoon was charged with driving under the influence Wednesday morning, police said.
James A. Alleva, 27, of the 200 block of South Lynn Boulevard, Upper Darby, admitted smoking marijuana before getting behind the wheel and driving at an excessive speed in attempt to beat the light at the intersection of State Road and Miller Avenue shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday, police said.
Officer Sean Kenny, 27, a six-year veteran, suffered minor injuries in the crash that spun his vehicle around facing in the opposite direction on State Road.
“Fortunately for Kenny, the air bags worked,” police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said. “Kenny was on his way to assist another department in a dangerous situation when he gets hit head-on by a guy who’s whacked out.
“The driver admitted he was ‘blitzed’ and ‘smoked up (marijuana) right before driving.’ He said he was in a hurry and wanted to beat the red light at West Chester Pike. This happened near rush hour in a highly dense traffic area across the street from a day care center. He put a whole community at risk.”
According to Chitwood, Kenny had pulled out from Miller Avenue onto State Road when Alleva crossed over the double yellow line and hit Kenny head on.
“The impact from the collision was so great that Kenny’s patrol car spun around and came to rest facing northbound,” Chitwood said.
Alleva was arraigned on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance, drug possession, reckless endangerment and multiple motor vehicle violations for driving on the wrong side of the roadway, speeding, careless driving and reckless driving.
Bail was set at 10 percent of $20,000 pending a preliminary hearing Aug. 28 in district court.
James A. Alleva, 27, of the 200 block of South Lynn Boulevard, Upper Darby, admitted smoking marijuana before getting behind the wheel and driving at an excessive speed in attempt to beat the light at the intersection of State Road and Miller Avenue shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday, police said.
Officer Sean Kenny, 27, a six-year veteran, suffered minor injuries in the crash that spun his vehicle around facing in the opposite direction on State Road.
“Fortunately for Kenny, the air bags worked,” police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said. “Kenny was on his way to assist another department in a dangerous situation when he gets hit head-on by a guy who’s whacked out.
“The driver admitted he was ‘blitzed’ and ‘smoked up (marijuana) right before driving.’ He said he was in a hurry and wanted to beat the red light at West Chester Pike. This happened near rush hour in a highly dense traffic area across the street from a day care center. He put a whole community at risk.”
According to Chitwood, Kenny had pulled out from Miller Avenue onto State Road when Alleva crossed over the double yellow line and hit Kenny head on.
“The impact from the collision was so great that Kenny’s patrol car spun around and came to rest facing northbound,” Chitwood said.
Alleva was arraigned on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance, drug possession, reckless endangerment and multiple motor vehicle violations for driving on the wrong side of the roadway, speeding, careless driving and reckless driving.
Bail was set at 10 percent of $20,000 pending a preliminary hearing Aug. 28 in district court.
