A Schuylkill County man is facing child endangerment and drunk driving charges after police say he crashed his SUV into a guide rail on Interstate 81 with his wife and three young children inside the vehicle.
Alphonso Matos, 33, of Minersville, is charged with three first-degree misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of children and two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence. He also faces summary traffic offenses for careless driving, driving on roadways laned for traffic, and driving with a suspended license.
State Police say they were dispatched to a reported motor vehicle crash on I-81 South near mile marker 125.4 shortly before 1:30 a.m. on June 28. Troopers arrived to find a Hyundai Tucson with disabling front-end damage resting on the right shoulder after colliding with a guide rail.
Matos, who identified himself as the driver, told police he was driving home from a party in Wilkes-Barre when he began swerving and lost control of the vehicle. According to the criminal complaint, Matos admitted he was tired and had consumed two alcoholic beverages about 40 minutes prior to the crash. A records check indicated Matos’s driver’s license was suspended, police say.
Police noted a strong odor of alcohol emanating from Matos and administered field sobriety tests. Police say Matos showed multiple signs of impairment during the tests, including an inability to maintain his balance, and a preliminary breath test indicated the presence of alcohol.
During the crash investigation, Troopers discovered Matos’s wife and three juvenile children, ages 3, 7, and 12, were passengers in the crashed vehicle. All four were evaluated at the scene by Ryan Township EMS and released with no injuries.
Matos consented to a blood test and was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Pottsville. Police say a toxicology report received on July 2 indicated Matos had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.163% within two hours of operating the vehicle.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 5 before Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli.
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