UNION TWP., Pa. (EYT) – A Connecticut man who was clocked at 123 MPH while impaired by marijuana in Union Township last month is due to stand for a preliminary hearing in Jefferson County on Friday.
Court documents indicate 20-year-old Steven Andrew McPherson of Soutington, CT, is scheduled to stand for a preliminary hearing in front of Magisterial District Judge Gregory M. Bazylak at 9:15 a.m. on Friday, December 14, on the following charges:
- Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession With Intent to Manufacture or Deliver, Felony
- Use/Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia, Misdemeanor
- DUI: Controlled Substance – Impaired Ability – 1st Offense, Misdemeanor
- Marijuana-Small Amount Personal Use, Misdemeanor
- Exceed Max Speed Limit Established By 53 MPH, Summary
- Careless Driving, Summary
- Reckless Driving, Summary
- Violate Hazard Regulation, Summary
- Fail to use safety belt – driver and front seat occupant, Summary
According to a criminal complaint, around 2:05 a.m. on Wednesday, November 21, Troopers Lowry and Thurner of the Punxsutawney-based State Police were performing speed enforcement using radar on Interstate 80 eastbound at mile marker 76.4 in Union Township when a silver Acura RL 4-door passed their location at what appeared to be a high rate of speed.
Trooper Thurner activated his handheld radar unit, which indicated the vehicle was traveling at 98 miles per hour. Trooper Thurner then activated his lights to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle.
According to the complaint, the vehicle continued east, accelerating to a maximum speed of 123 miles per hour for 0.3 of a mile, clocked by the calibrated speedometer of the police vehicle, before pulling over onto the north shoulder of the eastbound lane at mile marker 78.8, failing to activate its hazard lights once it was stopped.
Trooper Thurner asked the driver for his license insurance, and registration for the vehicle, which the driver provided, identifying him as Steven Andrew McPherson.
The complaint notes that Trooper Thurner observed, in plain sight, an orange medicine bottle with suspected raw marijuana on the center console of the vehicle.
According to the complaint, when Trooper Thurner asked McPherson about the substance, McPherson admitted it was marijuana, and when Trooper Thurner asked if he had smoked any marijuana before driving, McPherson stated that he had smoked at 11:00 p.m.
McPherson was then removed from the vehicle and field sobriety tests were administered.
According to the complaint, the McPherson showed signs of impairment during the tests and was then taken into custody for DUI.
The complaint also notes that a probable cause search of the vehicle found the following:
- a silver metal grinder,
- wrapping papers,
- packaging materials,
- three large and one smaller vacuum sealed bag,
- four Ziploc bags containing raw marijuana,
- one Ziploc bag containing marijuana stems,
- gold colored metal cigar tube containing a marijuana cigar.
The items were seized and entered into evidence.
Based on the investigation, charges were filed on Wednesday, November 21, in Magisterial District Judge Gregory M. Bazylak’s office.
Unable to post $60,000.00 monetary bail, McPherson was lodged in the Jefferson County Jail.
He was released on Monday, November 26, after a $6,000.00 security was posted by a private surety.
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