Salem man accused of driving drunk in Route 22 crash that injured 3 others

A Salem man is accused of driving drunk and rear-ending an SUV on Route 22 in Murrysville, sending three people to a hospital with serious injuries, according to police.

Wynn Noll, 63, was arrested Thursday on charges of aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, reckless endangerment and related offenses.

Murrysville police said they were called to the highway’s intersection with Mellon Road at 11:30 p.m. July 18. The driver of a Kia Sportage told police they were sitting at a red light on the eastbound side of Route 22 when the SUV was hit from behind by a Chevrolet Colorado, according to court papers.

Police said cameras at the intersection showed the driver of the pickup, later identified as Noll, did not apply the brakes before slamming into the back of the SUV. Data from the pickup showed it was traveling at 57 mph at the time of the impact, according to court papers. The speed limit there is 45 mph.

The Kia’s driver and two passengers were taken to AHN Forbes Hospital, as was Noll. Paramedics told police that Noll smelled of alcohol and claimed he had drunk five beers. His blood-alcohol content was estimated between 0.19% and 0.2%, police said. The legal limit to drive in Pennsylvania is 0.08%. It was unclear from court papers whether he was hurt in the crash.

The three occupants of the Kia had serious injuries — a concussion, lacerated liver, broken bones, torn spinal ligaments and back and neck strains — according to court papers.

Noll is free on $50,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 4. He did not have an attorney listed in online court records. A phone number listed for him was not in service.