Police: Hempfield man was drunk following crash, assault on trooper
A Hempfield man allegedly put his hand around the throat of a state trooper who was trying to arrest him for driving under the influence after a one-vehicle crash in January, according to court papers.
Peter Billey, 78, was charged Wednesday with aggravated assault, driving under the influence, resisting arrest and related offenses. He is free on $10,000 unsecured bond.
Troopers said the crash at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 18 happened after another motorist following a white Ford Explorer on Millersdale Road in Hempfield saw the sport-utility vehicle swerving on the road. The witness told investigators that the Ford hit an embankment and went airborne before bouncing back onto the road.
The witness and a nearby resident unsuccessfully tried to stop the driver, later identified as Billey, from restarting his vehicle and driving away after the crash. The Ford had flat tires and the airbags had gone off, according to court papers.
Billey was stopped on Route 30 near South Greengate Road, police said. When a trooper tried to arrest him, Billey allegedly pushed the trooper and put his hand around the trooper’s throat, according to court papers.
His blood-alcohol content was 0.159%, troopers reported.
Billey did not have an attorney listed in online court records, and he could not be reached. A June 21 preliminary hearing is set.
Renatta Signorini is a TribLive reporter covering breaking news, crime, courts and Jeannette. She has been working at the Trib since 2005. She can be reached at rsignorini@triblive.com.
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