Man Charged With Assault by Vehicle While DUI After Horse and Buggy Crash in Centre County

An Ohio man was arrested after police said he was drunk when he crashed his car into an Amish horse and buggy and injured its two occupants Tuesday night in rural Centre County.

Jose E. Ortiz, 46, was uncooperative and exhibited multiple signs of impairment when approached by police at the scene of the crash on the 1100 block of North Eagle Valley Road in Liberty Township around 8:15 p.m., state police at Rockview wrote in an affidavit of probable cause.

The horse-drawn buggy and Ortiz’s black Ford Mustang were both heavily damaged when police arrived on the scene.

The buggy’s operator and passenger were taken by ambulance to UPMC Williamsport to be treated for suspected head trauma.

Ortiz, police wrote, refused to voluntarily provide his driver’s license, emitted an odor of alcoholic beverage and had bloodshot, watery eyes, according to the affidavit. He showed signs of impairment on two field sobriety tests and was unable to maintain his balance and became agitated during a “walk and turn” before refusing to continue with the tests, police wrote.

He was arrested on suspicion of DUI and taken to Mount Nittany Medical Center, where he refused a blood draw, according to the affidavit. He allegedly had to be restrained several times by two state troopers and caused a disturbance by shouting and swearing.

Police obtained a warrant for a blood draw, with results pending.

Ortiz is charged with two felony counts of aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence, misdemeanor counts of DUI/unsafe driving, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct and a summary offense of reckless driving.

He was arraigned by District Judge Allen Sinclair and was unable to post $25,000 bail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 17.