Uniontown man accepts plea deal in fatal DUI case
A Uniontown man charged for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol when his vehicle struck and killed a bicyclist in early November accepted a tentative plea agreement for a term of probation.
Uniontown police Patrolman Thomas Kolencik said Gustavo A. Palmar, 52, of 107 Belmont Circle, Uniontown, was charged with a single count of drunken driving by Magisterial District Judge Michael M. Metros.
Kolencik said the crash at 9:44 p.m. Nov. 2 claimed the life of Parrish Robert George, 19, of 126 Leona St., Hopwood.
Fayette County District Attorney Jack R. Heneks Jr. said that the charge against Palmar is a basic charge for DUI and not a more serious charge such as homicide by vehicle because there is no evidence of gross negligence on Palmar’s part.
Heneks said he spoke at length with both Kolencik, Uniontown police crash reconstruction expert Capt. David J. Rutter and Assistant District Attorney Mark Brooks and reviewed photographs and schematics of the crash in determining what charges to file.
Heneks said that Palmar showed no reckless behavior and through evidence collected at the scene and information provided by multiple witnesses, he didn’t have a chance to react as George’s bicycle pulled in front of him.
He also noted that George was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.
Under the terms of the agreement, Palmar will serve six months’ probation.
Kolencik said the crash occurred at the intersection of Fayette Street and Beeson Avenue as George was riding his bike north on South Beeson. He said that George attempted to cross the intersection in front of a Ford sport utility vehicle driven by Palmar when the collision occurred.
Palmar told police that he stopped his SUV because he thought he ran over something, and when he got out of his vehicle, he saw that he had struck George.
Emergency personnel from Uniontown Firemen’s Ambulance took George to the hospital, where an emergency room doctor pronounced him dead, Kolencik said.
Kolencik said that he noticed some signs of possible alcohol consumption and said that Palmar admitted to police that he had consumed a glass of wine with dinner a few hours before.
Police ordered a blood test and it was determined that Palmar’s blood-alcohol level was .093, which is above the legal limit of .08.