Ligonier DUI crash that injured 3 motorcyclists nets Washington County man prison sentence

John Creasy has had a long road to recovery after he and two motorcycle riders traveling along Route 30 in Ligonier were hit by a drunk driver.

“I’ll be handicapped for the rest of my life,” Creasy said Thursday following a sentencing hearing for a Washington County man who prosecutors said has now been convicted 12 times for drunk driving since the late 1970s.

William C. Strogish, 68, was ordered by a Westmoreland County judge to serve 5 1/2 to 11 years in prison and barred from driving during the duration of his parole once released from incarceration.

Strogish pleaded guilty in April to 12 charges, including felony counts of aggravated assault by a vehicle, drunk driving and other traffic-related offenses. Prosecutors said Strogish drove his SUV into oncoming traffic and struck three motorcycles about a half-mile apart.

Investigators said Strogish was then involved in a second crash as he attempted to flee the scene, and was later detained and found to have bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and was in possession of a beer can that fell to the ground as he got out of the vehicle.

According to court records, Strogish had a blood alcohol content of 0.08% — the level that motorists are considered intoxicated under Pennsylvania law — when he was tested 90 minutes after the crash.

Creasy, 37, of Acme, one of Strogish’s three victims, said he sustained multiple bone fractures that resulted in more than a four-month hospital stay and left him wheelchair bound for another five months. He said he has endured 17 surgeries since the crash, but has since returned to work, where he serves as owner of a towing company.

“It was asinine,” Creasy said of Strogish’s actions. “I’m glad he won’t be in public again and is now locked away.”

Assistant District Attorney Anthony Iannamorelli argued that Strogish has proven an inability to follow the law, citing his now dozen convictions for drunk driving.

“Mr. Strogish is an outlaw. He has lived outside of the laws of society and I ask the court to remove him from society, a society whose laws he continues to disobey,” Iannamorelli said.

Common Pleas Court Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio acknowledged the difficult road faced by Creasy and another victim who was in court for Strogish’s sentencing.

“These gentlemen are certainly tough, physically and mentally. Mr. Strogish, it is a miracle you didn’t kill any of these individuals,” the judge said. “I agree with the commonwealth that you have shown a disregard of people on the road during your lifetime.”