CLARION CO., Pa. (EYT) – A Shippenville man charged in a DUI crash that seriously injured two people was sentenced on Wednesday to a County Intermediate Punishment Program.
President Judge Sara J. Seidle-Patton sentenced 35-year-old Jed Allen Beichner to a total of three years in a County Intermediate Punishment Program on Wednesday, February 5.
Beichner was ordered to six months on a work release program, followed by six months of house arrest with electronic monitoring, followed by two years of probation on the following charges, which were merged for sentencing purposes:
- Aggravated Assault By Vehicle While DUI, Felony 2
- DUI: High Rate of Alcohol (Bac.10 — <.16) 1st Offense, Misdemeanor
According to court documents, Beichner pleaded guilty to the above charges on December 18, 2019.
As a result of the plea agreement, the following charges were dismissed:
- Aggravated Assault By Vehicle While DUI, Felony 2
- DUI: General Impairment/Incompetent of Driving Safely — 1st Offense, Misdemeanor
- Simple Assault, Misdemeanor (two counts)
- Disregard Traffic Lane (Single), Summary
- Careless Driving, Summary
- Careless Driving — Serious Bodily Injury, Summary
- Restrictions on Alcoholic Beverages, Summary
- Failure to use safety belt — driver and front seat occupant, Summary
Beichner is currently lodged in the Clarion County Jail.
The charges stem from a crash involving Beichner that occurred around 2:25 a.m. on Saturday, January 6, 2018, on Miola Road, Highland Township, Clarion County.
A Chevrolet 2500 pickup truck, driven by Beichner, left the roadway and hit a tree head-on leaving Beichner and two passengers seriously injured.
Details of the case:
According to a criminal complaint filed by Trooper Berggren, of Clarion-based State Police, on January 6, 2018, at 2:28 a.m., he was dispatched to a crash on Miola Road, about 1/4 mile south of Sawmill Road.
When Trooper Berggren arrived, Beichner was in the back seat of a vehicle that had stopped for the collision. Two passengers in Beichner’s vehicle were being treated by EMS personnel and were eventually flown to a Pittsburgh hospital because of the severity of the injuries they received in the collision.
According to the complaint, the pickup was traveling south on Miola Road and slowly started to drift left and crossed into the northbound lane. It then left the roadway on the east berm before striking a tree with its front end.
When Trooper Berggren looked inside the vehicle, he saw a broken beer bottle and a beer can. The driver’s seatbelt was locked in a position which indicated it was not being used.
Trooper Berggren spoke with Beichner at the scene. He asked Beichner if he had been drinking, and Beichner said “yes.” Trooper Berggren could smell a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage being emitted from Beichner, the complaint states.
Beichner was taken from the scene to Clarion Hospital. Blood was drawn from him shortly after he arrived at the hospital, and then he was also flown to a Pittsburgh hospital due to the severity of his injuries.
Two passengers from the crash interviewed on July 17, 2018
Police interviewed the two passengers of Beichner’s truck on July 17, 2018.
The first passenger stated that as a result of the collision, he suffered numerous head injuries, a smashed orbital, and a torn spleen. His nose also had to be reconstructed.
The second passenger who was interviewed stated that “all passengers, including the driver Jed Beichner, were *@#!-faced.” He stated that Beichner was drinking a mixed drink earlier in the day when he came to pick him up. Then, they went back to Beichner’s residence to drink alcohol and at some point in the night, they traveled to a known bar. As a result of the collision, he suffered a broken jaw, a broken neck, and a broken back. In addition, he has a plate in his chin, and he lost several teeth.
Search warrant granted for Beichner’s Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) following the crash
On November 7, 2018, Trooper Berggren applied for and was granted a search warrant at District Judge Timothy Schill’s office. The medical records showed that Beichner had a BAC of .108% at the time of the test.
Beichner was arraigned at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 19, 2019, in Magisterial District Judge Timothy P. Schill’s office.
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