A man was arraigned this week in connection with a UTV crash in North Huntingdon that left a passenger seriously injured, according to township police.
Benjamin Howard Kessler, 22, of South Versailles, Allegheny County, is accused by police of being intoxicated while behind the wheel of the UTV on Jan. 19. Police said in court papers that the side-by-side was found at 6 a.m. overturned in a driveway on Coulterville Road in the southwestern part of the township.
The passenger was freed from underneath the UTV and taken to a hospital. He identified Kessler as the driver and said he walked away from the crash. Kessler was found about a half mile away near his home and appeared heavily intoxicated, investigators reported in court papers.
He denied drinking alcohol but said he had been driving, police said. The passenger had broken bones, head and kidney injuries and hypothermia. Kessler is free on recognizance bond on charges of aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence and related offenses.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 27. His attorney declined comment.
