Pennsylvania Officer Arrested for DUI After High BAC Test Results

In an alarming bit of irony, an officer from Pennsylvania Liquor Control Enforcement has been charged with driving under the influence after he was pulled over with an extremely high blood alcohol level. The 34-year-old officer, Michael Rutkowski of Nanticoke, was tested for alcohol  consumption after getting into a car accident when officers found that his blood alcohol content level was at .278 percent, about three and a half times the Pennsylvania legal limit of .08 percent.

Rutkowski suffered a head injury in the accident and was taken to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center for treatment. In addition to his DUI charges, he was also charged with careless driving. Fortunately, he did not hit or injure anyone else in the accident — he lost control of his vehicle, striking a utility pole and then a tree, both head-on.

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Enforcement agency put Rutkowski on restricted duty after the accident and is likely waiting on additional disciplinary action while the legal process works itself out in his case. He is to be arraigned on April 10.

In such serious cases, it can be difficult to avoid serious penalties for the DUI. However, there are still various defense options available to you as you seek to minimize the penalties that you face in relation to your case. It is important that you seek the assistance of an attorney as soon as possible after being charged with a DUI.

For more information on how you can defend against DUI charges, speak to Reading, Pennsylvania criminal law attorney David R. Eshelman.