Nov. 17--A former Delaware County assistant district attorney accused in the hit-and-run crash that left a Haverford teen seriously injured has been acquitted of the most serious charges.
Visiting Judge John Braxton granted a defense motion to drop the aggravated-assault and driving-under-the-influence charges.
Michael Donohue, 32, is still on trial for simple assault, leaving the scene, and other minor charges.
Jake Vantrieste, now 15, suffered a broken leg and pelvis and had bleeding on his brain as a result of the November 2011 incident. He was hospitalized and missed three months of school.
Prosecutor Joseph McGettigan contended that Donohue was out drinking with coworkers the night of the crash and was impaired. Donohue was on his cellphone when his Jeep Cherokee allegedly struck Vantrieste at 10:23 p.m., he said.
Donohue's defense attorney, Mark Much, does not disagree that his client's vehicle struck the Haverford Township teenager or that he left the scene, but he contended Donohue that was not drunk.
An accident reconstruction specialist, called by the defense, said that the required Pennsylvania Department of Transportation crash report was never filed and that the Upper Darby Police Department's analysis of the speed of Donohue's car at the time was flawed.
Earlier in the week, witnesses, including eight former or current members of the District Attorney's Office, testified that Donohue left the Media bar about 9 p.m. to collect political lawn signs, pick up a pizza, and visit two volunteer fire departments.
A former waitress at the bar testified Tuesday that Donohue ran up a bar tab of $120 that night.
None of the witnesses at the bar testified that Donohue appeared impaired.
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Contact Mari A. Schaefer at 610-892-9149, [email protected] or @MariSchaefer on Twitter.
Copyright 2012 - The Philadelphia Inquirer
