A Pittsburgh-area weather forecaster faces misdemeanor driving under the influence charges in Washington County, according to court records.
WPXI-TV meteorologist Kevin Benson was charged with three counts of driving under the influence and four moving violations after a 911 caller reported an erratic driver on Interstate 79 near the Interstate 70 interchange, according to the criminal complaint.
The incident happened Sept. 20, and police filed charges Oct. 9.
Police said Benson’s blood-alcohol level was .311, according to the complaint. The legal limit to drive in Pennsylvania is .08. Police said lab results showed his blood contained an inactive metabolite found in cocaine.
A state trooper responded at 5:45 p.m. to the area and noted Benson’s blue Ford Taurus crossing into the adjacent lane, following a vehicle too closely and moving at inconsistent speeds, according to the complaint.
During the traffic stop, the trooper wrote, Benson had bloodshot eyes and smelled of alcohol. He said he’d had one glass of wine hours earlier, according to the complaint.
Benson, 60, told police he’d been visiting his wife in the hospital, according to the complaint.
The trooper alleged that Benson would not follow directions to complete a portable breathalyzer test, and he was arrested. In the patrol car and, later, at Washington Hospital for a blood draw, Benson was “acting disrespectful and was uncooperative,” according to the complaint.
Benson could not immediately be reached for comment.
