Police: Coaldale woman charged after hitting 6 parked cars, was DUI
A Coaldale woman is facing a multitude of charges after Tamaqua police said she struck six parked vehicles while driving from Tamaqua to Coaldale under the influence of alcohol in the early morning hours of Feb. 15.
Police said Jasmine McGroggan, 41, already had two DUI arrests and was driving with a suspended license.
In all, police said eight vehicles — including McGroggan’s — were damaged.
According to police, officers were called to a hit-and-run on the 700 block of East Broad Street just before 3 a.m. There, they found a parked Chrysler Voyager had been struck and pushed onto the curb and into a tree. The Chrysler was also pushed into a Kia Soul, which suffered rear bumper damage.
Police said it was learned that the striking vehicle — driven by McGroggan — spun around and traveled onto Columbia Street where it struck and caused front-end damage to a Chevrolet Cruz. McGroggan then traveled the wrong way on Arlington Street and struck a Toyota Highlander and a Ford Escape. The Highlander suffered passenger side damage, and the Escape lost its front passenger wheel and had to be towed.
McGroggan then struck another Toyota Highlander, causing passenger side damage.
Police said McGroggan continued onto Federal Street and East Broad Street, and traveled “all over the road” on the way to Coaldale via Route 209. Officers said she lost a front tire of her vehicle on the No. 11 hill but kept driving east to Coaldale. She eventually tried to park at the corner of Second and East Phillips Street but backed into a Kia Telluride.
Police were able to follow McGroggan’s path due to damaged parts lying on the roadway. They said they found her in the driver’s seat of her still running vehicle, which also had heavy front end and passenger side damages.
Officers advised McGroggan to turn off the vehicle before it caught fire. When asked to exit the vehicle, she stumbled. Police said McGroggan was slurring so badly that they could not understand what she was saying.
She failed several field sobriety tests, and police took her into custody on suspicion of DUI. She was taken to St. Luke’s Miners campus for but refused to have her blood drawn for a blood-alcohol test.
Police charged McGroggan with driving under the influence-third offense, driving with a suspended license, reckless driving, careless driving, damage to unattended vehicles or property, failure to notify police of accident and failing to stop and render aid.