Five Days In Jail For Drunk Driver

OCEAN CITY — A Pennsylvania motorist pleaded guilty this week to multiple counts after striking a bicyclist in June and was sentenced to one year in jail, all but five days of which were then suspended.

Around 9:50 p.m. on June 23, an Ocean City Police Department (OCPD) officer responded to the area of 67th Street and Coastal Highway for a report of an alleged drunk-driver who struck and severely injured a bicyclist. The officer arrived on the scene and located the suspect, identified as Teresa Joy, 52, of Fairfield, Pa., standing near her 2009 Jaguar.

Multiple witnesses identified Joy as the driver who struck the bicyclist. According to police reports, the bicyclist was still on the street and was screaming in pain. Ocean City EMS responded and advised the officer the victim had suffered a broken femur and the injury was life-threatening. Witnesses described Joy was driving fast when she struck the victim with her vehicle.

OCPD officers approached Joy, who had a strong odor of alcoholic beverage on her breath and person. According to police reports, she exhibited signs of intoxication including slurred speech, poor balance and blood-shot eyes. Also according to police reports, Joy had not rendered aid to the injured bicyclist, but rather was standing by her vehicle and talking on her cell phone.

When questioned, Joy told police the accident was not her fault, but could not give a coherent account of the chain of events that led up to the crash. Joy also refused to provide the officers with her driver’s license and insurance information and would not even provide her name when questioned by police. She also refused to do field sobriety tests as requested.

Joy was arrested for driving under the influence, driving while impaired and failure to identify herself or provide information.

She was taken to the Public Safety Building for processing where she was required to submit to an alcohol concentration test because of the life-threatening injury to the bicyclist she struck. However, according to police reports, she was uncooperative and failed to provide a valid breath sample after seven attempts.

On Wednesday, Joy pleaded guilty to driving under the influence, failure to control speed to avoid a collision and failure of a driver in an injury collision to provide required identification. She was sentenced to one year in jail with all but five days suspended. She was also placed on supervised probation for 18 months.

About The Author: Shawn Soper

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Shawn Soper has been with The Dispatch since 2000. He began as a staff writer covering various local government beats and general stories. His current positions include managing editor and sports editor. Growing up in Baltimore before moving to Ocean City full time three decades ago, Soper graduated from Loch Raven High School in 1981 and from Towson University in 1985 with degrees in mass communications with a journalism concentration and history.