Pennsylvania State Police Photo by Tony Di Domizio.
Emman Cottman-Whitfield was jailed on $50,000 cash bail.
A Phoenixville man has been charged by Pennsylvania State Police out of Skippack with felony DUI/unsafe driving and additional misdemeanor and summary charges after police found him allegedly intoxicated inside his disabled vehicle on the side of Route 422 in Lower Providence Township.
Emman Cottman-Whitfield, 32, of the 300 block of Vista Drive, has also been charged with misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest and giving a fake name to police, and summary offenses of careless driving and driving with a suspended license, police said.
On Sunday, at 8:54 p.m., police were dispatched to a disabled silver 2007 Honda Odyssey blocking a lane on Route 422 West at mile marker 190.2, according to an affidavit. Upon arrival, police found the vehicle on the right shoulder of Route 422 West, and a passenger exited the car to explain they needed a jump, police said.
Cottman-Whitfield then exited the driver’s seat and told police the same information, authorities said. State Police told the couple that they cannot and do not have the means to jump start a vehicle, according to the complaint.
Police offered to call a tow truck, but told Cottman-Whitfield and his passenger that they needed to identify both occupants before calling a tow truck to the scene, police said.
Police allege Cottman-Whitfield became disorderly, and then told troopers his name was “Joel Cottman” with a date of birth of August 1991. The name and date of birth came back with negative results, police said, and the defendant was asked for his real name and birthdate again. Cottman-Whitfield insisted he gave them the correct name to more times, police said.
Cottman-Whitfield was placed into “investigatory detention” due to the false identification, and police allege he began to resist arrest. A struggle ensued and Cottman-Whitfield was taken to the ground and pinned until backup arrived, police said.
During an examination of the defendant’s personal items, police found his driver’s license with his real name and date of birth on it, according to the complaint. A search on Cottman-Whitfield revealed his license was suspended due to DUI, police said.
Cottman-Whitfield told police they were coming back from Valley Forge Casino, at which time officers smelled alcohol on the passenger, per the complaint. Police conducted a breath test on Cottman-Whitfield, which determined the presence of alcohol on his breath, police said.
Cottman-Whitfield was taken to the Skippack barracks for processing, where he consented to a blood draw to determine BAC, police said.
Cottman-Whitfield was jailed on $50,000 cash bail on Monday after arraignment, and a preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 17 at 10 a.m. before Magisterial District Judge Cathleen Kelly Rebar.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
