State College man faces felony DUI charges after crash that seriously injured 4 people
A State College man was accused of negligence Tuesday in a crash that seriously injured four people in Ferguson Township.
Darin Verbeck, 50, was driving southbound in March along West College Avenue when he smashed a 2012 SUV into a vehicle stopped at a red traffic light, township police wrote in an affidavit of probable cause.
The impact near the intersection of Science Park Road pushed the stopped vehicle into a U.S. Postal Service vehicle. Two witnesses told officers they saw Verbeck swerve and change his speed sporadically for about 1/2 mile, police wrote.
Verbeck did not deny causing the crash and told officers he would “take responsibility for the crash,” police wrote. Verbeck — who was sent home from work because he was sleeping — told officers he fell asleep before the crash, police wrote.
A blood test showed a combination of drugs made him “incapable of safe driving,” police wrote.
A Huntingdon County woman was treated for a broken back and a teenager was treated for a concussion and an eye injury. The driver of the Postal Service vehicle was treated for neck and shoulder injuries, and is unable to return to work, police wrote.
A defense lawyer was not listed.
Verbeck was charged with three felony counts of aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, one misdemeanor count of DUI and one summary traffic violation.
A preliminary arraignment has not yet been scheduled.
This story was originally published July 6, 2021 at 4:20 PM.