Before anyone is pulled over for suspicion of driving under the influence, an officer is observing a driver’s behavior behind the wheel. Excessive speeding, failing to signal and erratic driving on the road are all behaviors that many of us would consider bad driving, but for police officers, they are an invitation to pull a driver over.

Although being pulled over can be intimidating for anyone, it is always better to stop when you see an officer’s flashing lights than to try to get away. Officers need probable cause to stop someone. This means that a police officer has to witness a driving infraction or some other strange driving behavior to have good reason to stop the car.

The vehicle stop is the first thing a DUI defense attorney will examine when preparing a person’s DUI defense. Attempting to avoid a stop effectively closes the door on that line of defense. Unfortunately for one Croydon man, he may soon find this out the hard way.

In the early morning hours of August 30^th, two Bensalem police officers observed a car that appeared to be speeding on Bristol Pike. The officers began following the car and watched it as merged closely in front of a semi-trailer while turning onto Woodhaven Road. When the officers turned on their lights to initiate a stop, the car kept going.

According to police statements, the car tried to evade police by turning off its lights, rolling through a gas station and even driving the wrong way into traffic. The driver eventually abandoned his vehicle and was located hiding in some bushes.

The man was allegedly combative with police when they tried to arrest him and refused to submit to any chemical testing.

After arresting the man, the officers inspected his vehicle and found beer bottles in the front seat as well as a plastic bag lined with a powdery substance that has yet to be identified.

Because of the failed stop and his behavior when arrested, the man is now facing a slew of serious charges including fleeing a police officer, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, assault as well as driving under the influence.

Anytime anyone is arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence, they should contact an attorney immediately. Although it is important to be polite and cooperative with police, a person should never make any formal statements to police without an attorney present.

Source: www.phillyburbs.com, “Croydon man charged with DUI, fleeing police, fighting with officers,” Jo Ciavaglia, 2 September 2012