A former Carbon County resident pleaded guilty in county court on Tuesday, admitting he was driving under the influence of controlled substances when he was involved in two crashes, two days apart.

Serious injuries resulted to victims in the first crash.Christopher Shane Kennedy, 24, of Philadelphia, and formerly of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to two counts of driving under the influence and one count of aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, which is a felony.Kennedy was charged by Mahoning Township police for a crash on May 31, 2015, when his pickup collided with a car along Route 209, injuring three people in the other vehicle.A day later, on June 1, he crashed his vehicle along Route 209, about a half-mile north of the first crash.In both cases blood tests showed Kennedy was under the influence of aerosol fumes, marijuana and anti-anxiety pills.According to the police report here's what happened.At about 6 p.m. May 31, Bonnie Helmer was driving her Chevrolet on Route 209 in Mahoning Township near Packerton Hollow Lane when she saw a pickup coming right at her. She blew the horn and moved to the opposite lane to avoid being hit.But the pickup driver moved back into that lane, too. The resulting crash hurt Helmer, and severely injured her passengers, Marion Everett and Ann Snyder.At the scene Mertz saw that Kennedy was lethargic and slow to respond to conversation. Kennedy told Mertz he was coming from McDonald's when the Chevrolet came into his lane and he swerved to avoid it.Mertz noticed a can of air duster, used to clean computer keyboards, lying on the side of the road by Kennedy's truck. It looked brand-new and the top was broken off. Mertz picked it up and felt that the can was nearly full.At the hospital later Kennedy asked for his phone and wallet and told Mertz again he had been at McDonald's. Before that he had been at Walmart, where he bought a can of air duster.He told Mertz he had taken one of his father's Xanax, an anti-anxiety drug, that morning. Kennedy agreed to a blood test. The results showed difluoroethane, a chemical used in aerosol cans; alprazolam; Delta-9 THC, the active ingredient in marijuana; and Delta-9 carboxy THC, a marijuana metabolite.At 8:33 p.m., Mertz was alerted that Kennedy was causing a disturbance at the hospital and that he wanted his wallet back.Mertz got the wallet, phone and a pack of cigarettes from the truck.There was an alprazolam pill, another anti-anxiety drug, in the pack inside a crumpled Walmart receipt from the purchase of a can of air duster. The wallet contained another receipt for air duster, this one from May 28, and three-and-a-half alprazolam pills.Bonnie Helmer suffered cuts, fractures to her ankle, ribs and face. She was discharged from the hospital on June 3.Marion Everett, who had been in the front seat, suffered fractured bones and wrist. She underwent surgery and was released on June 5.Ann Snyder, who had been in the back seat, suffered severe injuries, including fractures to her hand and face. She was in intensive care, on a ventilator. By June 6, she was able to follow some simple commands. On June 11, she was discharged into acute rehab.President Judge Roger N. Nanovic II accepted the pleas but deferred sentencing ordering the adult probation office to prepare a presentence investigation report.Second crashKennedy came to the police station at 11:45 a.m. June 1 to pick up his belongings and told police he had gone to Walmart on May 31 and bought the air duster.He said that as he was coming through the Packerton Dip, the oncoming car crossed the yellow line and tried to go left, into his lane, and around his truck. Kennedy said he turned to the left toward the yellow lines, and that's when the crash happened.He said he took the Xanax his father gave him for a headache. The alprazolam, he said, were for his father, who had multiple strokes.Kennedy said he bought the air duster to clean his keyboard. He said he thought it was "weird" when the clerk asked him if was 18 when he bought it. Frey told him people use it to get high, and Kennedy said he didn't know that, and that getting high was not his intent.A short time later, at 1:06 p.m., Frey was dispatched to a crash, with a red Kia Sportage down about 50-75 feet on an embankment near the Bagel Bunch restaurant on Route 209. The lone occupant, Kennedy, was already out of the car. Frey made his way down to the car where Kennedy said he had blacked out and didn't remember the crash.Frey noticed Kennedy's pupils were constricted, he seemed lethargic and was slow to answer questions.Frey spoke with a witness who said the Kia was "all over the roadway" from Lehighton to Jim Thorpe. It sped up at the Packerton Dip, and became airborne over the embankment.Kennedy again said he had blacked out and hadn't taken anything after leaving the police station about an hour before. The results of a blood test from that time showed Kennedy had the same chemicals in his system as before.The next day, June 2, Kennedy was at the police station, where he denied huffing. Mertz said multiple purchases of air duster indicated misuse. "He responded by nodding his head in an affirmative gesture," Mertz wrote.Kennedy said nothing during the proceeding except to answer Nanovic's questions about the plea.