Four people were injured during a three-vehicle crash on Route 901 in Schuylkill County last week. Police say the crash is DUI-related.
According to information from State Police-Frackville, the crash occurred shortly before 1 p.m. on Dec. 16 in Cass Township.
At the time of the crash, police say a vehicle driven by Michael Mitchell, 66, of Pottsville, was traveling westbound on the highway when he allegedly fell asleep behind the wheel and entered the eastbound lane.
A vehicle driven by Marvin Davis, 69, of Pottsville, was in that eastbound lane and could not avoid a collision and was struck head-on by Mitchell’s vehicle, police say. Davis’ vehicle had one passenger inside at the time, 69-year-old Maryann Davis, of Pottsville.
Davis’ vehicle spun 180 degrees. A third vehicle – driven by 27-year-old Brittany Prutzman, of Pottsville, who had two infant passengers in the vehicle at the time – attempted to avoid colliding with Davis’ vehicle by swerving into the westbound lane but was sideswiped by Davis’ vehicle, police say.
Prutzman’s vehicle went onto the westbound shoulder of the road and then came back across the road until it reached its final rest on the eastbound shoulder. Davis’ vehicle came to final rest in the westbound lane facing west, police say.
Mitchell’s vehicle came to final rest on the eastbound shoulder facing west.
Mitchell is believed to have suffered a serious injury as a result of the crash. He was treated at the scene by Minersville EMS but refused transport to a hospital, police say. He is suspected of DUI, police note in their report.
The Davises suffered suspected minor injuries and were taken to Geisinger-St. Luke’s Hospital near Orwigsburg.
Prutzman was possibly injured in the crash but was not taken to a hospital for treatment. Both children were uninjured, police say.
UPDATE: State Police have filed a felony DUI charge against Mitchell. He’s also been charged with five misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment and a pair of summary traffic offenses.
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