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NORRISTOWN — A Berks County man will spend some time in jail in connection with a two-vehicle crash in Douglass (Mont.) Township that occurred while he was driving under the influence of alcohol and which injured two people in the second vehicle.
Dana Lee Cutaneo, 43, of the 200 block of North Franklin Street, Boyertown, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 11½ to 23 months in the county jail after he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI in connection with the Nov. 27, 2021, crash that occurred along Gilbertsville Road in Douglass (Mont.).
Judge Thomas P. Rogers imposed the sentence as part of a plea agreement.
The judge said Cutaneo can be made eligible for the jail’s work release program after serving five months in the jail and having no misconducts.
An investigation began about 10 p.m. Nov. 27 when Douglass (Mont.) police responded to the 200 block of Gilbertsville Road, near the entrance to the Avante Apartments, for a report of a vehicle crash with injuries.
Arriving officers observed a Chevrolet Trailblazer registered to Cutaneo with heavy front end damage and partially in the grass of the apartment complex.
Officers said the male driver of the second vehicle, a 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer, was found lying outside the vehicle and complaining of a leg injury and was being treated by members of the Gilbertsville Fire Co. A female passenger in the Lancer “was found confused and walking around the accident scene” and was bleeding from her mouth and complained of head pain, according to the criminal complaint.
When police spoke with Cutaneo, he admitted to consuming alcohol earlier in the evening, to not wearing his seatbelt and to using his cellphone just prior to the crash. Police said they detected the odor of alcohol on Cutaneo’s breath and his eyes were glassy and he was unsteady on his feet. Police added Cutaneo exhibited “signs of impairment” when he performed field sobriety tests.
Cutaneo allegedly used an expletive to express that he messed up and he wanted to know if everyone was OK.
Cutaneo was transported to Pottstown Hospital for a blood draw, court documents indicate. In the arrest affidavit, police alleged tests ultimately determined Cutaneo’s blood-alcohol content was 0.225% which is more than twice the legal driving limit of 0.08%.
Police said the male driver of the second vehicle suffered a broken ankle, a fractured rib, liver injuries, facial injuries and an abrasion of the left cornea. The female passenger in the second vehicle suffered a concussion as a result of the crash, police said.
Court records indicate Cutaneo originally was charged with DUI and simple assault-related charges. The charges were later upgraded to include the more serious felony offense of aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, according to court records.
The other charges of simple assault, recklessly endangering other persons, DUI and careless and reckless driving were withdrawn against Cutaneo as part of the plea agreement.
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