One man has been charged after police say he caused a crash with serious injuries in the northbound lanes of Route 1 near the Penndel/Levittown exit this past weekend.
Juan Gregorio Juarez, 32, of Trenton, was charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, two felony counts of accident involving death or injury, two misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person, one misdemeanor count of DUI: high rate of alcohol, and summary charges for reckless driving, driving without a license, and operating a vehicle without required financial responsibility.
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Middletown police say the crash happened Sunday shortly before noon when Juarez slammed into the back of a vehicle causing serious injuries to it’s driver and passenger, both of which were treated and transported to St. Mary’s Medical Center. According to police that conducted the accident investigation, Juarez’ BAC was nearly three times the legal limit in Pennsylvania.
Juarez, who according to police could not provide proof of insurance or a drivers license, said he was driving his friend’s car “at a high rate of speed,” and was “very drunk.” Police noted in a probable cause affidavit that they smelled a strong odor of alcohol on Juarez’s person, that he had bloodshot and glassy eyes, his speech was erratic, that he had a hard time balancing and was using his vehicle to hold himself up.
Witness testimony stated Juarez was driving at a high rate of speed while northbound on Route 1 and that he was swerving from the left lane to the right lane and driving on the shoulder.
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Police said three beer bottles were found in Juarez’s car.
Juarez sits in the Bucks County correctional facility on additional charges of one felony count of luring a child into a motor vehicle, one misdemeanor count of indecent exposure, one summary count of driving without a license, and one summary count of accident or damage to an unattended vehicle or property in a separate case. He was taken into custody on those charges Sunday where he was sent to prison on 10 percent of $200,000 bail. He awaits a preliminary hearing scheduled with Judge Joseph Falcone on April 29. His hearing has not been scheduled in this case.
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.
