Police: Phoenixville Man Crashes into Sign, Gets Arrested for DUI

A Phoenixville man was arrested last week after police say he crashed into a street sign in the borough while intoxicated.

Richard H. Freas, 41, was charged with five counts of DUI and an additional charge of careless driving after the November 7 incident.

According to court documents, at 2:20 a.m. a Phoenixville police officer witnessed a green Ford Explorer run into a pedestrian crossing sign on Bridge Street and Bank Street. The sign was in the middle of Bridge Street, positioned on the double yellow lines.

After the officer initiated a stop—the driver did not, according to the affidavit, immediately pull over when the officer activated his emergency lights—he noted that Freas smelled like alcohol and moved slowly.

When he was asked how much he had to drink, he said “four beers.”

Freas then consented to and failed three field sobriety tests and a portable breathalyzer test.

Richard Freas was placed under arrest for DUI. He faces preliminary hearing on December 13.