Authorities said 38-year-old Erin Churney, of Ambler, was more than three times over the legal blood alcohol limit when her 2012 Ford Escape went up a
An Ambler woman has pleaded guilty to her role in the February 2022 crash on Morris Road that sent one man to the hospital with serious injuries.
Court records show Erin Churney, 38, pleaded guilty to one felony count of aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. Additional counts of misdemeanor DUI, as well as related traffic offenses, were dropped in exchange for her plea.
First responders were dispatched to the scene near the intersection of Pinecroft Place at 8:45 a.m. on Feb. 1, 2022, for a report of a vehicle crash with injuries and rescue. Investigators said a 2012 Ford Escape driven by Churney was traveling westbound on Morris Road when it veered off the roadway, traveled up an embankment, then returned to the road and struck a white pickup truck on the front driver’s side area.
Crews from Wissahickon Fire Company worked to free the driver of the pickup truck, who was then transported via ambulance to Abington Memorial Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. It was later determined that the man’s injuries included a broken femur in two places as well as internal bleeding, according to the charging documents against Churney.
Police at the scene described Churney as smelling of alcohol with slurred speech and poor balance. She reportedly told investigators “[she] f—ked up” and apologized for the crash at the scene, police said.
Churney would go on to fail a series of field sobriety tests, and once in custody, she agreed to a blood draw at Suburban Community Hospital for blood-alcohol content testing, police said.
On March 1, 2022, the result of the blood test was provided to police, showing Churney had a blood-alcohol content of .285% at the time of testing, according to the criminal complaint. The results also showed the presence of Clonazepam, Xanax and oxycodone, police said.
Churney remains free on $2,500 unsecured bail while awaiting a sentencing hearing, which has not yet been scheduled but typically occurs within 90 days of entering a plea. She faces a maximum of 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $25,000 on the second-degree felony charge.
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