SAXONBURG — A Penn Township man accused of fleeing from police and driving drunk had his case moved to the county level.

Arthur E. Boring Jr., 54, appeared for his preliminary hearing Wednesday before District Judge Sue Haggerty. Boring is out of jail on $5,000 bail.

He has been charged with a felony fleeing charge and a misdemeanor first-offense DUI, along with other related summary charges.

Boring has another first-offense DUI pending in the Court of Common Pleas.

Boring pleaded guilty to DUI charges in 1998, but it's not counted as a consecutive conviction because it's outside the 10-year window.

Boring's attorney, Joseph M. Kecskemethy, cross-examined investigating officer Cpl. Dennis Crawford Jr., who testified Wednesday.

Crawford said the Feb. 26 incident started when he witnessed a white Ford Escape pass his cruiser on Pittsburgh Road, near the area of Penn Drive.

“I noted the white SUV traveling southbound, by the sound and sight of it, was at a high rate of speed,” he said.

Crawford said he followed the SUV for about one-third of a mile. He said a pace clock gauged the vehicle's speed at about 70 mph in a 50 mph zone. He said he also noted a number of traffic violations take place until the vehicle pulled onto Port O Call Drive.

Crawford said he followed the SUV into the Port O Call Development and turned on his lights to initiate a traffic stop. He said the SUV slowed for a moment and then continued on, at which point he engaged his siren.

Crawford said Boring led the officer back to his home and parked in the driveway. He said Boring met him halfway between their vehicles.

“Pretty frankly, I noticed the odor of intoxicating beverages as we talked,” Crawford said. “He kept saying he was in his driveway.”

During his cross-examination, Kecskemethy asked Crawford for an estimate of how far he followed Boring from the start of the stop. Crawford said he estimated it to be about one-third or one-half mile.

“Where could he have stopped or could he have stopped?” asked Kecskemethy.

“He could have stopped right on Port O Call Drive,” Crawford said.

According to Crawford, Boring failed the first field sobriety test and then refused to perform any addition field or breath tests.

Crawford said he also interviewed Boring's wife, who had arrived at the home shortly after the traffic stop entered the driveway.

According to charging documents, Boring called his wife and asked for a ride from Sheetz, but when she arrived, he told her to follow him home.

“Mrs. Boring added that she 'begged him not to drive,'” Crawford wrote in the affidavit.

Boring's preliminary arraignment was scheduled for May 4 in the county Court of Common Pleas.