Police: Man Smoked Pot, Crashed Car into Pole
Andrew Salvitti was charged with careless driving and DUI.
A 22-year-old Phoenixville man was arrested last week after he crashed his car into a utility pole while he was intoxicated, East Pikeland Police are reporting.
Andrew Salvitti stands charged with careless driving and driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance.
According to court documents, on August 19 at 11:08 p.m., an East Pikeland police officer was dispatched to a one-car accident on Coldstream Road. When he arrived at the scene, he saw a white Suburu Legacy crashed into a utility pole. Both the vehicle and the pole were badly damaged.
Salvitti, the driver and the vehicles’ sole occupant, explained to the officer that he was turning right from Township Line Road onto Coldstream when his phone slid from his lap onto the floor. He reached for it, and at that point lost control and hit the pole. The man said his right eye hurt from the airbag deployment, but was otherwise uninjured.
The officer noticed Salvitti and his car both smelled like marijuana. Confronted with this suspicion, the man admitted to having taken “a couple hits” earlier. He later added that he was still feeling the drug’s effects even after the accident.
Salvitti failed a subsequent field sobriety test and was placed under arrest. His blood was drawn for testing at Phoenixville Hospital and he was released to his parents.
In This article
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East Pikeland Township Police Department
1158 Rapps Dam Rd, Phoenixville, PA -
Phoenixville Hospital
140 Nutt Rd, Phoenixville, PA
G&M
8:42 am on Monday, August 27, 2012
It's articles like this that put crazy opinions in peoples heads about how dangerous marijuana is rofl......obviously dudes weed was laced with something else or else he got some banger that he shoulda never smoked knowing he was gonna drive.....
P-villian
9:09 am on Monday, August 27, 2012
Or he was lying about the phone falling, and he was texting and driving, looked up and said OH F---!!!!!!!!! Why was his phone on his lap??? HMMMMM!!!!
Bob Domarasky
12:21 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
He was released to his parents? He is 22!
RS
12:22 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Listen G&M, while I believe pot should be legalized, I'm not stupid and naive enough to think that it should be used constantly and without care. Driving while high is the same as driving under the influence. Pot IS a dangerous substance to be driving with. So don't go writing it off as "he wasn't using just pot!" because that's just absurd. It has medically-proven effects that are just as dangerous to be feeling while driving as alcohol or other medications.
Carrie Ward
1:15 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Funny how the article headline pointed at the pot and ignored that he was tested over the legal alcohol limit! Typical misleading press coverage. Disgusting!
DMW
3:25 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Are you reading the same article I am? It doesn't say that in the article anywhere.
Kim Wrigley
4:29 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Typically,, while the reaction can slow down, usually the driver is driving too slow to do the damage... I go with phone, additives (alcohol or other), checking the radio, eating food and not paying attention, etc....
Carrie Ward
10:48 am on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
DMW What does "Salvitti failed a subsequent field sobriety test and was placed under arrest." mean?
DMW
11:29 am on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Field sobriety test - like balancing on one leg, reciting the alphabet backwards, walking a straight line, touching your finger-tip to your nose. They're indicators of impairment, impairment doesn't always mean alcohol which is why they did a blood draw at the hospital.