Police have charged a Pottsville man with aggravated assault by vehicle in connection with a crash on Route 61 back in November 2023.
According to an affidavit filed by State Police-Schuylkill Haven, the crash happened on Route 61 in West Brunswick Township back on Nov. 25 of that year. On that date, a vehicle driven by Tyler Vandermartin, 27, of Pottsville was traveling south in the left lane of the highway. Vandermartin switched lanes, police say, and crashed into the rear of another vehicle.
Both vehicles rolled over several times upon impact. As police arrived on the scene, both drivers were in separate ambulances, according to the court documents filed on Friday.
Police say they interviewed the woman who was driving the vehicle that was struck by Vandermartin’s vehicle. She reportedly told police she was on her way back to New Jersey at the time. At one point, she said she saw headlights in her rear-view mirror and that the vehicle behind her was traveling very fast.
Suddenly, she said, her vehicle was hit and rolled over multiple times. She got out of the vehicle under her own power and told police she had facial pain. Police say her nose was bleeding during their interview. She was taken by ambulance to Geisinger-St. Luke’s Hospital nearby for treatment of those injuries.
Police also interviewed Vandermartin at the scene. He reportedly said he was coming from Mt. Fuji in the Bedway shopping plaza between Schuylkill Haven and Cressona, where he was picking up food for friends of his at Cigars International, where he works and had just finished a shift.
Vandermartin reportedly told police that he may have been going too fast at the time of the crash, about 70 MPH. He also allegedly said he’d hit a wet spot on the road and ran into the back of the woman’s vehicle. During the initial interview, he also reportedly told police that he didn’t drink or smoke marijuana that day.
Police note in their affidavit that the road was dry and there hadn’t been any precipitation that day.
Despite his claim that he hadn’t had a drink or smoked that day, police say they observed signs of impairment when conducting an eye movement (or HGN) test on Vandermartin.
Police say that during the interview, Vandermartin then changed his story on how much had had to drink after his shift at the cigar shop. He said he had a 16-ounce Miller Lite at about 5 p.m. before leaving Cigars International to go get food. He then reportedly said he’d drunk two 16-ounce drafts of Miller Lite and had a shot at 8 p.m.
Blood drawn from Vandermartin while he was being treated at Geisinger-St. Luke’s Hospital was then tested. Lab results were returned to State Police on Dec. 7, 2023. They reportedly showed that Vandermartin’s Blood Alcohol Concentration was 0.234%. Police say the blood test also showed levels of THC, all above the legal limit to operate a vehicle.
Police say they since received medical records on the woman involved in the crash. They reportedly show injuries including daily headaches, ringing in the ears, and abnormal sensations like hand tingling, radiating lower back pain, knee pain, a broken nose, herniated discs, and bulging discs.
Vandermartin has been charged with aggravated assault by vehicle, a second-degree felony, along with misdemeanor counts of DUI, and several summary traffic offenses. He was arraigned before District Magistrate Judge AJ Serina on Friday and released on $50,000 unsecured bail. He’s due back in court for a preliminary hearing on April 8.
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