A Pottsville man will answer to DUI charges after driving the wrong way on Route 61 and causing a crash earlier this month.
According to the Pennsylvania State Police at Schuylkill Haven, this crash occurred on April 7th, 2024, around 8:30pm in the southbound lanes of Route 61 in the area of 1254 Route 61 (Jerry's Auto Sales) in North Manheim Township.
State Police say Robert Klinger, 54, of Pottsville, was driving northbound in the southbound lanes of Route 61 in a Chevrolet Silverado when he struck Michael Brown, 42, of Saint Clair, in a BMW. Both vehicles collided as they both swerved to avoid the collision with Brown's vehicle drifting into the concrete barrier, then coming to a stop on the shoulder of the highway. Both Brown and his passenger were not injured.
Klinger turned his truck around and fled southbound. A witness of the incident continued to follow Klinger to the jug handle where he stopped. The witness was able to approach Klinger's driver side door and remove the keys from vehicle.
A second witness captured the entire incident through a dashcam.
On April 25th, 2024, State Police charged Klinger with a slew of charges including DUI, and numerous traffic violations from the incident.
According to online documents, Klinger will appear before Magisterial District Judge Andrew Serina for a preliminary hearing on July 2nd, 2024.