Police news.
The defendant was pulled over on Ridge Pike at 2 a.m.
A Lehigh County man with six prior DUI-related convictions was charged early Thursday morning with felony DUI for his third or subsequent offense after being pulled over for swerving in traffic on Ridge Pike.
Supreme Sha-Lah Knight, 41, of the 200 block of Front Street, Catasauqua, was also charged by Lower Providence Township Police with misdemeanor driving with a suspended license – 3rd or subsequent offense, and summary charges of driving with a BAC of .02% or greater while a license is suspended, careless driving, disregarding a single traffic lane, and exceeding the maximum speed limit by 15 mph.
Knight was remanded to Montgomery County jail on $2,500 cash bail, per court records.
Police said at 2:03 a.m. Thursday, a passing motorist reported a potential drunk driver behind them on Ridge Pike. The vehicle, a silver Toyota Highlander, was located and police followed the SUV westbound on Ridge Pike, per the affidavit.
Police followed the Toyota, allegedly driven by Knight, which was speeding at 55 mph in a 40 mph zone for three-tenths of a mile and left the traffic lane three times.
The Toyota was stopped at Parklane Drive on Ridge Pike, police said. Upon speaking with Knight, police smelled an overwhelming odor of alcohol on his breath and person, per the complaint. Knight’s speech was slurred, his eyes were glossy and bloodshot, and he was unsteady on his feet, police said.
He failed field sobriety tests, police said, and admitted to drinking various alcoholic beverages and beign impaired. A breathalyzer showed a BAC level over the legal limit, police allege.
Knight told police, per the complaint, that he was driving to Eagleville Hospital for alcohol addiction. He also refused a blood sample to determine BAC, police said.
Authorities discovered that not only was Knight’s license suspended, but he also had two prior convictions for DUI within the last 10 years and had four prior convictions for driving while his license was suspended for DUI, per the affidavit.
According to the Pennsylvania Crimes Code, an individual who drives under the influence and has three or more prior offenses, or has previously been convicted of a violation relating to homicide by vehicle while DUI, commits a felony of the third degree.
A preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 3 at 11:15 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.
