Jun 9, 2022 4 min read

The driver’s license for state Rep. Matthew Dowling had been re-issued to him the day before he was involved in Saturday afternoon’s crash near Uniontown in which he’s being investigated for driving under the influence of alcohol.

State police said Dowling’s license issuance date was June 3, allowing him to legally drive again for the first time in eight months after he was involved in another crash in Lancaster County and suffered significant injuries.

Dowling was hospitalized for several weeks in that Oct. 6 single-car crash after suffering from a diabetic seizure, and had just returned to his job duties as a state lawmaker in February. But he apparently was finally healthy enough to drive again when he received his license from the state a day before the most recent crash.

The three-term Republican lawmaker indicated in a written statement Tuesday that he had been drinking Saturday prior to the crash when he said past abuse of alcohol “came to a head in an auto accident” in South Union Township. Investigators said Dowling, 37, of Uniontown, struck the rear-end of a pickup truck twice on New Salem Road at Matthew Drive shortly before 1:40 p.m. Police said Dowling “appeared to be manifestly under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance at the time of the crash while simultaneously experiencing a diabetic emergency.”

He was taken by ambulance to Uniontown Hospital for treatment, and police said they’re awaiting the results of toxicology tests to determine whether Dowling should face DUI charges. It was not known where Dowling had been before the crash.

The situation has raised questions about whether Dowling’s tenure in the state Legislature is in jeopardy as he apparently has entered a treatment program for an undisclosed amount of time. Dowling did not discuss his political future in his statement, but party officials in Fayette County appeared to support him remaining in office after he returns from rehab.

Fayette County Republican Party Chairman Bill Kozlovich said he was disappointed by the situation, but that he does not think Dowling should leave office since the lawmaker may not have understood how alcohol affected his body after the serious injuries he suffered in that first crash.

“We stand behind him. He’s our rep and he’s always done a good job. I hope he can put his problems behind him,” Kozlovich said. “Matt is human. He made a mistake. Let him learn from it and come back do the job he was elected to do.”

Kozlovich said Dowling’s decision to undergo treatment showed he’s taking responsibility for the incident, although he did not know what kind of program the lawmaker was going through or when he would return to his official duties. But Kozlovich added that he might have a different opinion about Dowling’s tenure in office if there are other issues in the future.

“If it happened again next week, I’d have a problem with it,” Kozlovich said. “But let’s not crucify him.”

Dowling has represented the 51st state House District, which currently includes southern portions of Fayette and Somerset counties, since he first won election in 2016. He faced a Republican primary challenge in May for the reconfigured district that includes only southern and central Fayette County, but easily defeated Ryan Porupski. Dowling will now face Democrat Richard Ringer in the November general election.

Fayette County Democratic Party Chairman George Rattay declined to comment on whether he thinks Dowling should resign, but he said he wants the upcoming election to be about the issues rather than about Saturday’s incident.

“We’ll see where this all goes,” Rattay said. “We wish Matt Dowling well and all the illnesses he has, hope he gets (good) results. Anyone, I would hope it would get it rectified.