YORK COUNTY — A former West Manheim Township Police chief has been charged with DUI after he was seen driving on the wrong side of the road in February, according to a criminal complaint affidavit filed by Penn Township Police.
Timothy John Hippensteel, 55, of Spring Grove, was also charged with a traffic violation in the incident, which occurred at about 12:50 a.m. on York Street in Penn Township.
The charges were filed on March 13, according to the criminal complaint.
Police say an officer spotted Hippensteel’s vehicle crossing the double yellow line and driving in the wrong lane for about 40 seconds, nearly striking two oncoming vehicles. He was traveling at about 22 miles per hour, police say.
The officer initiated a traffic stop, and noticed Hippensteel had red, watery eyes and the odor of the odor of an intoxicant on him, according to the criminal complaint.
Hippensteel was unsteady on his feet when he was removed from the vehicle, performed poorly during field sobriety tests, and was unable to blow into preliminary breath testing device, police say.
He allegedly admitted to the officer that he’d been drinking before he elected to drive home, the criminal complaint states.
Hippensteel was transported to Hanover Hospital for a blood draw. His blood alcohol content came back at 0.259 percent, which was over the legal limit of 0.08 percent.
