Aaron Banks

A three-time convicted drunken driver was arrested Thursday after Butler police say they found him apparently passed out behind the wheel of a running vehicle.

Four weeks earlier, state police allege the defendant, Aaron J. Banks, 34, of Concord Township, was driving on drugs when he caused a two-vehicle crash in Center Township.

Banks is being held in the Butler County Prison on $50,000 bail following his latest arrest, this time for felony driving under the influence.

Butler police said they were called about 1 p.m. Thursday for a reckless driver in the area of First and Reeder streets, where they found the suspected vehicle already pulled over.

The driver, later identified as Banks, was “slumped over the wheel,” according to court documents. The engine was still running.

Officers knocked on the window several times before the suspect awakened. He allegedly showed impairment during field sobriety testing.

During their investigation, documents said, police noticed a marijuana pipe in the center console. The pipe had what appeared to be burned marijuana inside of it.

Banks was taken to Butler Memorial Hospital for a blood draw, which he refused.

Police charged him with a felony count of DUI after they checked his criminal history and learned he was a repeat offender.

Court records showed that Banks pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of a controlled substance in 2015.

He was sentenced to five years in the county's Intermediate Punishment Program with the first 105 days on house arrest with electronic monitoring.

Additionally, he has two other DUI convictions dating back to 2004 and 2005.

Under state law, which went into effect last year, a person can be charged with a third-degree felony if he or she has three or more prior DUIs.

District Judge William Fullerton arraigned Banks on the charge, and remanded him to the county prison.

State police last week filed their own unrelated charges against the defendant stemming from a May 2 crash in Center Township.

Police said he was traveling south on Route 38 about 4:15 p.m. when his car crossed the road and struck an oncoming vehicle.

The defendant appeared to be impaired, police said, and he was eventually taken to Butler Memorial Hospital for a blood test.

“The lab results returned with positive results for controlled substance,” according to court documents.

He was subsequently charged by summons in that case with driving under the influence of a controlled substance, disregarding traffic lanes, careless driving and a seat belt violation.