Driver placed under arrest
An East Butler man for the third consecutive month was arrested for suspicion of drugged or drunken driving after a rear-end collision Saturday night that injured two people in the other vehicle, Butler police said.
Dean M. Minto, 45, of East Butler was taken to Butler Memorial Hospital for a blood test following the wreck about 6:40 p.m. on West New Castle Street. Police said they are waiting for toxicology reports as part of the investigation.
Minto's vehicle struck the back of the other car driven by Sharon A. Beck, 61, of Butler. The collision forced Beck's car into a guardrail, according to a police report. Minto's car stopped after hitting an embankment on the north side of the road.
Beck and her passenger, Carol Beck, 70, of Butler, were both taken to Butler Memorial with minor injuries. Both occupants were wearing seat belts. Minto was not hurt.
Minto already has two separate drugged driving cases pending in Butler County Court.
State police arrested him at 9:45 a.m. April 3 after they found him asleep at the wheel of his running car at a book store parking lot on Route 38 in Summit Township, according to court documents.
Another motorist first notified authorities after she followed Minto out of the city, onto Route 68 and eventually to Route 38.
The other driver described Minto's erratic driving that stopped only when he pulled into the Paradise Book Store and went to sleep with the engine on and the transmission in reverse.
Troopers got there, put the car into park, and awakened Minto. Police also noticed a baggie of suspected cocaine.
He is charged in that case with driving under the influence of a controlled substance, disregarding traffic lanes, careless driving and not wearing a seat belt.
On March 2, Jackson Township police arrested Minto for drugged driving following a traffic stop. He was subsequently charged with driving under the influence of a controlled substance.
He is to be arraigned June 1 in DUI court on charges in that case.
