Rep. Dowling seeking treatment for ‘possible alcohol issues’ after Saturday crash in South Union
A Uniontown lawmaker said he is seeking treatment to “address any possible alcohol issues” after being involved in a Saturday crash in South Union Township.
State Rep. Matthew Dowling, 37, issued a statement Tuesday afternoon acknowledging the two-vehicle crash in which he is under investigation for driving under the influence in his Mini Cooper.
State police said Dowling twice rear-ended a Toyota Tacoma driven by Richard A. Hoch, 54, of Greensburg, on New Salem Road around 1:40 p.m., causing moderate damage to the truck.
Police said Dowling “was experiencing a diabetic emergency on (the) scene of the crash and was subsequently transported to Uniontown Hospital by Fayette EMS for medical treatment.” Neither Hoch nor a 23-year-old passenger in the truck were injured, according to police, who said charges of DUI against Dowling “are pending analysis of the blood work results and related medical records.”
In the statement, the Republican lawmaker cited lingering issues from a serious crash eight months earlier.
“Since that accident, I have struggled in dealing with the trauma that occurred – both physical and mental. Unfortunately, this struggle has manifested itself in disappointing behavior that I have faced in the past with respect to alcohol, and that came to a head in an auto accident on June 4, 2022,” Dowling wrote.
The Uniontown legislator previously suffered serious injuries when he had a medical problem Oct. 6 and his vehicle went off of the roadway and struck a tree in Lancaster County. He was hospitalized for several weeks and returned to his duties as a state representative in February. He said previously that he suffered a diabetic seizure that rendered him unconscious before that crash.
On Tuesday, Dowling called the injuries he sustained in October “life changing.”
“Due to the physical injuries that I sustained in that accident, and the required medications that I am on to treat those injuries, my body no longer reacts as it did previously,” he wrote. “I am facing a new physical normal that I must immediately adjust to in order to live everyday life as those around me do,” he said.
Dowling apologized to his family and to his constituents “for the pain or mistrust this incident has caused or may cause.”
“Please know that I take this matter very seriously and I have entered professional treatment to appropriately address any possible alcohol issues,” he wrote, asking for privacy for his family “as they should not suffer for my actions.”
Dowling did not return calls placed to his legislative office or cellphone on Tuesday.