LANCASTER COUNTY — A 37-year-old Lancaster County man will stand trial for the DUI crash that killed a Mount Joy man last month, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office.
Brian Knowles, of Bainbridge, waived a preliminary hearing Friday. District Judge Miles Baxter decreed Knowles will stand trail for charges of third-degree murder, vehicular homicide while DUI and related charges in Lancaster County Court.
Bixler also set Knowles’ bail at $250,000. Knowles had previously been free on unsecured bail as he received medical treatment for injuries he sustained in the Jan. 15 crash, which occurred on Route 441 in East Donegal Township.
Joseph G. Zito, 56, was killed when Knowles’ pickup truck veered into oncoming traffic on Route 441, striking Zito’s Honda SUV, the DA’s Office alleges.
Investigators determined Knowles was intoxicated at the time of the crash. Testing after the crash revealed a blood alcohol level of .31 percent – nearly four times the legal limit in Pennsylvania.
Additionally, the investigation showed Knowles had taken a Breathalyzer test at home a few minutes before driving. The test revealed that Knowles’ blood alcohol content was far beyond the legal limit – but he drove anyway, the DA’s Office says.
