Woman admits DUI in two-car crash
A Clarks Summit woman accused of causing a two-car crash while driving the wrong way on the McDade Expressway in 2011 pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and two summary citations Tuesday, Assistant District Attorney Robert Klein said.
Danielle Mulcahey, 42, 116 Woodside Drive, pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor DUI, her first offense, reckless driving and driving the wrong way.
As part of the plea, a felony aggravated assault by a vehicle charge will not be pressed at the time of sentencing. Lackawanna County Judge Vito P. Geroulo ordered a pre-sentence investigation. A sentencing date has not been scheduled, Mr. Klein said.
Mr. Klein said the victim, Marlene Miller, asked that the assault charge be dropped.
"Through an extraordinary amount of compassion, the victim asked us not to go forward on that charge," Mr. Klein said, though he did not want to elaborate on details of that conversation.
On Nov. 16, 2011, Ms. Mulcahey drove her Ford Explorer on the wrong side of the McDade Expressway and struck Ms. Miller's Volvo head-on.
Ms. Miller filed a civil suit on Feb. 20 against Ms. Mulcahey, the former Martini Grill and Lounge, 414 Spruce St., where the suit states Ms. Mulcahey drank alcohol the night of the crash, as well as affiliated bars, and Besim Dzurlic, 234 Penn Ave., identified in the suit as the owner, principal, manager officer and/or operator of the Martini Grill LLC and affiliates.
The suit, as well as an amended complaint filed on May 3, seeks in excess of $50,000 restitution in compensatory and punitive damages.
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