An off-duty detective was drunk and texting on his cell phone when he crashed into a parked car in Hallam during the early morning hours of May 3, police said.
Daniel Clayton Bell, 35, of the first block of Buttonwood Lane, Hellam Township, was charged Wednesday with driving under the influence-general impairment, driving under the influence-highest rate of alcohol, accidents involving damage to unattended property and careless driving.
Just after 3 a.m., Hellam Township police were called to a crash in the 400 block of East Market Street, Hallam, where they found Bell's silver Jeep Cherokee overturned in the middle of road.
Bell's Jeep hit a parked vehicle so hard that it knocked off a passenger-side rear tire, according to court records.
Bell, a detective with the Columbia Borough Police Department in Lancaster County, left the scene and was found a few blocks away, according to court records. Police found Bell's wallet, identification, driver's license, police badge and .25-caliber handgun inside his wrecked car, court records state.
Bell was treated for cuts to his left arm and face and taken back to the crash scene.
He was arrested for drunken driving after police smelled alcohol on him and noted Bell's eyes were glassy and bloodshot, according to court records. Police also noted Bell had slurred speech.
Bell was taken to Memorial Hospital for a blood test, which determined Bell had a 0.184 percent blood-alcohol content - more than twice the limit at which a driver is considered drunk in Pennsylvania.
Bell told police he started drinking about 5 p.m. May 2 and drank with several friends in Lancaster, court records said.
During a ride back home to Hellam Township, Bell apologized several times and said his career as a police officer was over, according to police. Bell told police he hoped he could be a learning experience for younger police officers.
Bell admitted he was texting a message on his Blackberry when he struck the parked car, according to court records.
Bell is suspended with pay pending the outcome of the charges, according to a Columbia department spokesperson.
Bell could not be reached Wednesday for comment.
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Daniel Clayton Bell, 35, of the first block of Buttonwood Lane, Hellam Township, was charged Wednesday with driving under the influence-general impairment, driving under the influence-highest rate of alcohol, accidents involving damage to unattended property and careless driving.
Just after 3 a.m., Hellam Township police were called to a crash in the 400 block of East Market Street, Hallam, where they found Bell's silver Jeep Cherokee overturned in the middle of road.
Bell's Jeep hit a parked vehicle so hard that it knocked off a passenger-side rear tire, according to court records.
Bell, a detective with the Columbia Borough Police Department in Lancaster County, left the scene and was found a few blocks away, according to court records. Police found Bell's wallet, identification, driver's license, police badge and .25-caliber handgun inside his wrecked car, court records state.
Bell was treated for cuts to his left arm and face and taken back to the crash scene.
He was arrested for drunken driving after police smelled alcohol on him and noted Bell's eyes were glassy and bloodshot, according to court records. Police also noted Bell had slurred speech.
Bell was taken to Memorial Hospital for a blood test, which determined Bell had a 0.184 percent blood-alcohol content - more than twice the limit at which a driver is considered drunk in Pennsylvania.
Bell told police he started drinking about 5 p.m. May 2 and drank with several friends in Lancaster, court records said.
During a ride back home to Hellam Township, Bell apologized several times and said his career as a police officer was over, according to police. Bell told police he hoped he could be a learning experience for younger police officers.
Bell admitted he was texting a message on his Blackberry when he struck the parked car, according to court records.
Bell is suspended with pay pending the outcome of the charges, according to a Columbia department spokesperson.
Bell could not be reached Wednesday for comment.
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http://www.wgal.com/news/19450195/detail.html
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