DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — An officer with Harrisburg Police who was charged with driving under the influence in May while off-duty is on unpaid administrative leave pending the outcome of the case in Dauphin County Court, according to Captain Gabriel Olivera.
The charge against 24-year-old Marc Howell stemmed from a vehicle accident on May 11 on Interstate 83 North in Swatara Township, Captain Olivera added.
At approximately 2:10 a.m., a State Police trooper observed a vehicle on the shoulder at mile 44 with its hazards on. The trooper pulled over and made contact with the driver who related she was stopped on the shoulder with her four-ways on when her vehicle was hit by a pickup truck, which was on the shoulder just north of their current location.
The trooper spoke with the defendant, Howell, who said that the tires (22 by 14 inches) on his 2015 gray Dodge Ram extend beyond the body of his truck, which resulted in him striking the stopped vehicle, according to the criminal complaint. The trooper then detected an odor of alcohol coming from Howell and observed a bar wristband on his left wrist.
The trooper wrote in the criminal complaint that Howell admitted to drinking alcohol prior to the crash. Field Sobriety Testing was conducted and Howell later consented to a blood draw which showed his BAC level being 0.132%.