DUI driver receives sentence
Taking his Pirates hat off, Robert J. Dinger walked up to Judge William Shaffer to be sentenced for driving high in 2016 and crashing into a car occupied by two women, nearly killing one of them.
“I am a person who was injured in the car accident by you. I'm very grateful to be alive today,” Connoquenessing's Mary Alice Layton, who is in her 60s, said Thursday in a Butler County courtroom.
Shaffer sentenced Dinger to five years of intermediate punishment for two counts of aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence and driving under the influence of a controlled substance.
“I was very angry at you when I realized how hurt I was,” Layton said. “I had to learn to walk again. I have both mental and physical scars that I hope will heal in time.”
Shaffer ordered Dinger to spend the first 354 days of his intermediate punishment in jail followed by six months of house arrest. For driving under the influence of a controlled substance, Dinger must also serve 50 hours of community service, pay a $1,000 fine and pay $667 in restitution. Dinger received credit for time already served, allowing him to be immediately paroled instead of going to jail.
“I made a terrible mistake and I'm very remorseful,” Dinger said after Layton recounted her recovery process.
Dinger's public defender, Joseph Smith, told Shaffer that Dinger was a veteran and was receiving drug treatment through VA Butler Healthcare.
Layton was driving on Route 356 with Brookelle Bergbigler, then 22, of Butler on Oct. 2, 2016, when Dinger lost control of his pickup truck, smashing into the women's car. Layton was flown to Allegheny General Hospital for serious, life threatening injuries and Bergbigler was taken to Butler Memorial Hospital before being transferred to AGH.
Police said investigators found suspected heroin and other drug contraband in his wrecked truck. Dinger also admitted using heroin that day, investigators said.
Dinger was arraigned in 2016 on two counts of aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, a felony. He also was arraigned on misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence of drugs and possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.
Additionally, police cited him for disregarding traffic lanes, careless driving and reckless driving.
In his plea deal, Dinger pleaded guilty March 13 to the two aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence charges and driving under the influence of a controlled substance charge.
