Jul 8, 2021 2 min read

Washington City Councilman Matthew Staniszewski, who is accused of driving drunk when he crashed his vehicle on the Pennsylvania Turnpike near Bedford in February, waived his preliminary hearing and is now in discussions with prosecutors on a plea deal.

Staniszewski appeared Wednesday morning before District Judge Tonya Osman in Bedford County, and waived the DUI charges and summary traffic offenses to court, although his defense attorney Sean Logue hopes they can avoid a trial.

“He’s going to take responsibility for his actions in Bedford, and we look forward to working with the district attorney to come to a joint resolution,” Logue said following the hearing. “We’ve had preliminary discussions of a potential plea, but that’s all.”

Staniszewski had a blood-alcohol level of .267% when he crashed his vehicle into a concrete median while driving east on the turnpike near Bedford shortly before 8 p.m. Feb. 16, according to court documents. When state police arrived at the scene, his vehicle was partially blocking the highway’s left lane, police said. No one was injured in the single-vehicle crash.

The following day, Washington County probation officers took him into custody at a Washington home for violating terms of his sentence for a previous DUI conviction. He was held in the Washington County jail for nearly two months until President Judge John DiSalle resentenced him to 3 to 6 months of incarceration, although he allowed Staniszewski to be released to undergo a 30-day inpatient treatment program at a Monroeville facility.

Staniszewski completed the treatment program and has since returned to his role as a city councilman. He’s free on $3,000 unsecured bond while awaiting a resolution in the Bedford County case.

“Matt’s doing great,” Logue said. “He’s sober, he’s happy, he’s looking to move on with his life.”