Trusted Local News

FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP DUI CRASH

Man with .079% BAC in Telford crash gets DUI charges withdrawn, case sent to traffic court

Giovanni Lezama Sanchez, 22, of Norristown, was accused of crashing into a pole at Cowpath Road and Telford Pike in June.

Giovanni Lezama Sanchez, 22, of Norristown, was accused of crashing into a pole at Cowpath Road and Telford Pike in June.

  • Courts

A man who had a BAC of .079% when he crashed his car into a utility pole in Telford in June and walked away from the scene to a nearby shopping plaza had all misdemeanor offenses, including DUI, withdrawn at an August 28 preliminary hearing and his case was sent to traffic court.

Giovanni Lezama Sanchez, 22, of Norristown, had a first offense misdemeanor DUI withdrawn at an Aug. 28 preliminary hearing before Montgomery County Magisterial District Judge Adam T. Katzman, according to court records.

Furthermore, summary charges of careless driving, accidents involving damage to unattended vehicles or property, and failure to notify police of an accident involving damage to a vehicle were also withdrawn at the hearing.

The remaining two charges – failure to drive in a single traffic lane and driving without a license were sent to traffic court, according to court records.

Sanchez was represented by public defender Gabriela Sanchez.

Franconia Township Police officially charged Sanchez, of the 1000 block of Stanbridge Street, in July following blood test results.  

On June 10, at 11:05 p.m., police were dispatched to a crash into a utility pole at Cowpath Road and Telford Pike, and found a black Hyundai on the left side of the roadway with severe front-end damage, police said.

The Hyundai was next to a PP&L utility pole that broke due to the crash, knocking out power briefly in the area, police said.

Police found the car unoccupied and police requested help from Souderton Borough Police to set up a perimeter. While coordinating with Telford Borough Police, Franconia officers were advised that Souderton Police found Sanchez, the driver of the Hyundai, at Indian Valley Shopping Plaza at 199 Telford Pike, police said.

Sanchez had an injury to the left side of his head, which matched damage to the windshield of the car, police said. His eyes were bloodshot and glassy, and there was a strong odor of alcohol on him, police said.

Police contacted Language Line to help in communicating with Sanchez, police said. Sanchez, per the affidavit, admitted to driving the car and crashing into the pole after drinking five beers.

Sanchez was treated as a trauma patient by medical responders, so field sobriety tests could not be administered, police said. He was taken into custody at 11:58 p.m., and taken by VMSC EMS to Grand View Hospital for treatment, police said.

A Spanish-speaking officer from Upper Dublin Township Police met Franconia officers at the hospital to speak with Sanchez.

Sanchez agreed to a blood test, police said, and blood was drawn at the hospital. The blood was sent for testing on June 11 and on June 18, the results showed a BAC of 0.79% at the time of withdrawal, per the affidavit.

Per court records, Sanchez was charged via summons June 25.

This article appears courtesy of a content share agreement between North Penn Now and The Reporter. To read more stories like this, visit www.thereporteronline.com.



author

Tony Di Domizio

Tony Di Domizio is the Managing Editor of NorthPennNow, PerkValleyNow, and CentralBucksNow, and a staff writer for WissNow. Email him at [email protected]. Tony graduated from Kutztown University and went on to serve as a reporter and editor for various news organizations, including Patch/AOL, The Reporter in Lansdale, Pa., and The Morning Call in Allentown, Pa. He was born and raised in and around Lansdale and attended North Penn High School. Lansdale born. St. Patrick's Day, 1980.