Drugs may have played role in Eat’n Park crash
State police said cocaine may have played a role in vehicle crash at the Eat’n Park restaurant in Center Township on Jan. 16.
Last week, state police charged David L. Smith Jr., 56, of Butler, with two misdemeanors of driving under the influence and several traffic citations, including reckless and careless driving and failure to drive at a safe speed.
Smith was previously cited for driving with a suspended or revoked license.
According to documents, Smith was driving a Subaru Tribeca south on Route 8 around 6 a.m. when the vehicle left the southbound lanes, crossed both northbound lanes, went over an embankment and struck the southwest corner of the restaurant on Clearview Circle.
Police said they arrived on scene and noticed Smith’s one eye was completely clouded and the other one was dilated. Smith suffered a head injury during the crash, according to police reports, but he declined medical treatment. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, officers added.
According to police, Smith was not asked to submit to field sobriety tests due to his injuries, but was transported to Butler Memorial Hospital for a blood test.
Smith’s blood was drawn around 8 a.m. Jan. 16, police said. The test found his blood to have traces of cocaine and buprenorphine, which is an opioid used to treat addiction and acute pain.
The crash left a large hole in the restaurant building and knocked down a light pole in front of the building. The restaurant was closed for several hours after the crash, but reopened before noon.
Smith’s preliminary hearing before District Judge Lewis Stoughton is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 28.
