Man Who Crashed into Utility Pole on Allentown Road Charged with DUI, Reckless Endangerment

Keith Heffintrayer | North Penn Now•

An Oregon man is facing charges after he allegedly crashed his vehicle into a utility pole on Allentown Road while driving under the influence of alcohol.

Fetuani Iongi, 34, of Portland, has been charged with misdemeanor counts of DUI: general impairment and reckless endangerment, as well as summary counts of careless driving and improper safety restraints in connection with the Oct. 28 crash in Franconia Township.

Police were dispatched to the intersection of Harleysville Pike and Allentown Road at 1:06 a.m. for a report of a single vehicle crash. Arriving officers found a gray Toyota Sienna sideways in the roadway, as well as damage to a utility pole and downed wires, according to the criminal complaint.

The driver of the vehicle, identified as Iongi, told police he was on his way home from a party when he turned onto Allentown Road from Harleysville Pike and left the roadway, went over a curb, and struck a pole, police said. No injuries were reported for Iongi, a passenger, or the two young children inside the vehicle.

Investigators said Iongi had bloodshot eyes and a strong odor of alcohol emanating from his person. Iongi also failed a series of field sobriety tests and a preliminary breath test was positive for alcohol, according to police.

Iongi was then taken into custody for suspicion of DUI, and he later consented to a blood test to determine his blood-alcohol concentration, police said. The results of those tests are pending.

Investigators said there were no car seats in the vehicle for the two children – both under the age of 4 years old – which led to the safety restraint charges.

Court records show Iongi was arraigned on the charges later that morning, and he was released from custody on $5,000 unsecured bail. His next court appearance is a preliminary hearing on Nov. 13 at 12:15 p.m. in front of Magisterial District Judge Albert Augustine.

All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using information provided by the Transportation Safety Administration.