Cops: Woman Drove Wrong Way Down Route 13, BAC Three Times Legal Limit

A 29-year-old Levittown woman, who cops say drove the wrong way down Route 13 in September and caused a chain of crashes that injured two people, has waived her right to a preliminary hearing before District Judge Jan Vislosky.

Falls Township police filed charges against Michelle Spell in November after they say she drove intoxicated. Court papers say Spell’s blood alcohol content (BAC) was more than three times the legal limit as she drove the wrong way down busy Route 13. A warrant for her arrest was issued in November although her arraignment didn’t occur until last month.

On Tuesday, Spell waived charges of DUI, DUI: highest rate of alcohol, accident involving death or personal injury, recklessly endangering another person, not driving at a safe speed, careless driving, and driving over the divider.

According to police investigation, Spell was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes and at a high rate of speed when she struck a vehicle on it’s side on September 27 shortly after 12:40 a.m. The vehicle’s driver, who noticed Spell, attempted to swerve away before she was hit. That driver was pushed into another vehicle which then hit a guardrail, according to police. The driver hit by Spell had injuries to her face and jaw and was transported to Aria Hospital for treatment.

Police say Spell’s travels didn’t stop there.

Although Spell’s vehicle suffered from major damage to it’s side and tire in the crash, she continued the wrong way down the northbound lanes of Route 13 before hitting another vehicle on it’s driver’s side. The impact caused the vehicle to rotate and be pushed off the roadway and shoulder, backwards towards an embankment. The driver suffered injuries, although they were not named by police.

Spell’s vehicle also traveled off the roadway after the crash, causing her vehicle to flip and land on it’s roof in the embankment, trapping Spell inside. When Falls officers assisted the fire department in removing Spell from the vehicle, they detected a strong odor of alcohol immediately, according to the probable cause affidavit. Spell was transported by ambulance to St. Mary’s Medical Center in Middletown. Her injuries, if any, were not named by police.

Although officers attempted to get Spell to submit to chemical testing, she refused. Testing was achieved through a search warrant by police at a later date, when Spell’s BAC registered at .269 percent, more than three times the legal limit in the state of Pennsylvania, according to court papers.

Spell awaits a formal arraignment on $10,000 unsecured bail.

Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.