Man faces felony charge after allegedly crashing truck into properties

A Snow Shoe man has been charged with felony criminal mischief after reportedly crashing his truck into private property.

According to the criminal complaint filed by state police at Rockview, a trooper responded to a report of a crash on Oct. 15, 2016, in the Snow Shoe borough. The vehicle operator had allegedly attempted to flee the scene.

Once on scene, the trooper was notified that the driver, Chandler A. Crouse, 25, had called into the Rockview barracks requesting an emergency psychiatric evaluation, police said. Crouse had reportedly been located in the borough and was found holding a beer.

Crouse allegedly told troopers that he only drank after the crash and that his truck was in the middle of the road, police said. He reportedly said he had crashed the truck on purpose.

A breath test showed a BAC of 0.151 percent, police said. A blood draw later at Mount Nittany Medical Center showed a BAC of 0.134 percent.

The trooper noted on the scene along West Nectarine Street that Crouse’s truck, a red Chevrolet, was sitting in the middle of the roadway. The truck was observed to have severe front-end damage and a mailbox was lodged up underneath the truck.

“Multiple” cans of Busch Light were found inside the truck, police said.

The trooper also responded to the Queen of Archangels Catholic Church in Clarence, police said, where several damaged items belonging to the church were found, including a light pole, steel railing and the concrete sidewalk. Tire tracks and red paint transfer were reportedly found as well.

Troopers talked to several witnesses who reported hearing an argument then seeing a red truck crashing into a utility pole and the church. One witness reported never seeing the truck hit its brakes when striking the pole.

Replacement of the mailbox reportedly cost about $62, police said. Damage to the church was estimated at $13,320.

Crouse was arraigned Wednesday by District Judge Kelley Gillette-Walker, according to court documents, and charged with a felony count of criminal mischief, misdemeanor charges of DUI and several summary driving offenses, including driving while privileges are suspended, careless driving and damage of property by a motor vehicle. Unsecured bail was set at $75,000.

A preliminary hearing is slated for Wednesday.

This story was originally published March 16, 2017 at 10:21 PM with the headline "Man faces felony charge after allegedly crashing truck into properties."