Driver in South Side crash told police he didn't know how he got there

A man who allegedly drove into a South Side Slopes house told police he’d snorted Xanax prior to the crash, and he wasn’t sure where he was or how he got there, according to charges filed against him.

The crash happened about 12:45 a.m. when Douglas Dietz, 32, of Baldwin Township allegedly drove his silver Jeep into a three-story residential building on Josephine Street, according to the criminal complaint.

A resident of one of the building’s apartments told police he’d been watching television when he heard a loud crash and saw the Jeep crashed outside of the house, according to the complaint.

Police said Dietz sustained lacerations and bruises to his face, and he complained of leg pain. Officers noted that he did not smell of alcohol but he “could not give officers a reason as to why he crashed into the building,” and “(he) was unsure of his location and how he got there,” according to the complaint.

Officers said that Dietz, when asked if he had any weapons or drugs on him, produced a hollowed out pen from his jacket pocket and told officers he used it for snorting Percocets, police wrote in the complaint.

Police found a container of Xanax in his other pocket, according to the complaint. Officers said they saw white powder residue on Dietz’s upper lip, according to the complaint. Dietz allegedly told police the residue was Xanax.

Dietz was admitted to UPMC Mercy for his injuries. He is charged with driving under the influence, drug possession and criminal mischief.