Tarentum man accused of DUI in Sharpsburg crash that injured 1

A man was driving under the influence of cocaine when Allegheny County Police said he slammed into another vehicle in Sharpsburg, seriously injuring its driver.

James Edward Sundberg, 66, was arrested Thursday by the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Fugitive Squad. He has addresses in Tarentum and Salem Township, Westmoreland County.

Sundberg is charged with aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence and related offenses.

The crash happened shortly before 4 p.m. Dec. 14 on Main Street. Police said Sundberg was driving a GMC van that crossed the center line and hit an SUV driven by an 81-year-old woman.

Both drivers were freed from the wreckage by first responders and hospitalized in critical condition, according to a criminal complaint. Police said data from the vehicles showed Sunberg was driving 39 miles per hour, which was 14 mph over the posted 25 mph speed limit. The SUV was traveling 26 miles per hour.

Video footage from the Sharpsburg police station showed Sundberg’s van pass by moments before the crash. A cloud of dust and smoke can be seen in the distance seconds later and then there are people running in that direction to help.

Police said Sundberg’s blood tested positive for cocaine.

According to the complaint, the woman has undergone numerous surgeries from the injuries she suffered in the crash, including multiple fractures to both ankles, ribs and vertebrae, and a brain bleed. She remains hospitalized.

A preliminary hearing is set for Wednesday. He did not have an attorney listed in online court records.

Sundberg has a criminal history dating back to 1977, according to online court records.

He is awaiting court action in a case in which sheriff’s deputies accuse him of failing to update his Megan’s Law registration with state police. He is required to register as a sex offender for life after a 1994 rape conviction, according to Megan’s Law records.