A truck driver who apparently decided to continue driving despite a travel ban is now facing a DUI charge. Recent inclement weather closed some major Pennsylvania highways and the accused truck driver was stopped on I-78 by state police trooper about an after after the announced driving ban. The officer allegedly smelled marijuana in the cab of the truck and apparently found a jar containing cannabis.
The 28-year-old driver agreed to a field sobriety test, which he supposedly failed. The officer said the driver allegedly told him he smoked pot with his girlfriend the evening prior. The cop also allegedly found that the ashtray contained what looked like pot and ash and rolling papers beside the driver’s seat.
The trooper charged the driver, who is from Georgia, with two counts of driving under the influence, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.The accused has been arraigned. He is being held in custody. His bail is set at $5,000.
Facing a DUI charge in Pennsylvania is a serious issue for which experienced legal counsel is typically necessary. An attorney can work with a client who is so accused to seek a reduction or dismissal of the charges entirely. The minimum concentration level of cannabis in the system 1 ng/ml. The presence of marijuana in an individual’s system is not enough to convict for offenses requiring impairment. The state must show actual impairment and a lawyer can help to formulate a defense since cannabis can be found in a person’s blood stream for weeks after last being smoked, so even if a blood test shows there is marijuana in a person’s system, it doesn’t automatically mean the accused was impaired at the time he or she was pulled over.
