A man who was intoxicated and didn’t have a valid drivers license is accused of crashing into three motorcycles in Ligonier Township, according to court papers.
The three motorcyclists all had serious injuries, including multiple broken bones, and have undergone surgeries and rehabilitation, Ligonier Valley police said.
William C. Strogish, 67, of Ellsworth, Washington County, was arrested Thursday on charges of aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence and related offenses. His driver’s license has been suspended since 1976, police said in court papers. The reason for the suspension was unclear from court papers, but a check of his criminal history showed Strogish has been charged with drunken-driving and license suspension violations numerous times between 1992 and 2017.
First responders were called just before 7 p.m. July 23 to Route 30, about halfway up the summit to Laurel Mountain. They found injured motorcyclists and their bikes in two locations on the highway about a half-mile apart.
Witnesses told police an SUV traveling east driven by Strogish crossed the center line twice, hitting motorcyclists each time. The motorcycles were riding west in a staggered group, and one of the witnesses said the SUV was entirely in the westbound lane at one point. Strogish backed up the SUV after the second collision “in what appeared to be an attempt to leave the scene,” Officer Ryan M. Hall wrote in court papers.
Police said that when they spoke to Strogish, he smelled of alcohol and had slurred speech. As he got out of the SUV, a beer can fell onto the ground, according to court papers.
All three motorcyclists and Strogish were taken to hospitals. The owner of the SUV, who was staying with Strogish at a cabin in Linn Run State Park, told investigators she hadn’t given him permission to take it but did not report the situation to police when she saw him leaving with it earlier in the day, according to court papers.
Police said Strogish’s blood-alcohol content was 0.08% about 90 minutes after the crash. He has three previous convictions of driving without a valid license, police said.
Strogish did not have an attorney listed in online court records. Strogish was being held at the Westmoreland County Prison on $50,000 bail. A Nov. 30 preliminary hearing is set.
