Allegheny jail officer suspended after crash, DUI charges in North Huntingdon

A Penn Township man arrested last week in connection with a North Huntingdon drunken-driving crash that left another motorist seriously injured is suspended without pay from his job at the Allegheny County Jail.

A county spokeswoman said Dwight D. Edwards has worked as a corrections officer at the jail for 22 years. Edwards was promoted to the rank of captain in 2018, according to a warden’s report. He currently holds the rank of major and earns about $100,000 annually, according to information from Allegheny County.

Edwards, 49, is awaiting a Feb. 22 preliminary hearing on charges of aggravated assault while driving under the influence and related offenses. North Huntingdon police said the pickup Edwards was driving on Morris Avenue at 11 p.m. Nov. 14 slammed head-on into a car.

A paramedic who responded told authorities that Edwards, whose pickup overturned, appeared intoxicated and police said they confirmed that suspicion upon talking to him, according to court papers.

Edwards told another paramedic that he had been drinking beer and did a few shots prior to the crash, police said.

Both he and the other driver, who had to be freed from the car, were taken to AHN Forbes Hospital in Monroeville. The other driver sustained several fractures, internal bleeding and a displaced knee, according to court papers.

Edwards did not have an attorney listed in online court records. He is free on $50,000 unsecured bail.