MILLVALE, Pa. — More than a month after a driver crashed his car into an Allegheny County church, authorities have charged a priest with driving under the influence in connection with the incident.
Channel 11 News reported about the
. Since the crash, Channel 11 had been calling for weeks to get answers about the case after receiving a tip that the driver, Rev. James Mazurek, was driving drunk. A criminal complaint obtained by Channel 11 News Friday confirmed the tip.
According to the complaint, Mazurek had a “strong odor of an alcoholic beverage” and “blood shot eyes.”
Mazurek declined to elaborate on the incident when reached for comment Friday, saying the charges have not been settled.
“I’m not talking. It’s not settled,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh also declined to comment, saying the matter is between Mazurek and his parishioners. Mazurek continues to work at Holy Spirit Church.
The church’s Facebook page posted a message the same day as the crash introducing Mazurek as the new administrator. No one was injured in the crash, and the church suffered only minor damage to an exterior wall and the interior wall on the other side.
The complaint showed Mazurek had a blood alcohol content of 0.09 percent and 0.10 percent in two different tests. Pennsylvania’s legal limit is 0.08 percent.
Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
