Man Again Charged With DUI During Traffic Stop In Montgomery County

TOWAMENCIN TOWNSHIP, PA — A Montgomery County man who has previous arrests for driving under the influence, some of which are still pending active charges, has again been charged with DUI stemming from a traffic stop in Towamencin Township recently.

Stephen Vanherwaarden, 53, of Worcester, Pa., was charged earlier this month with felony DUI following an incident in Towamencin, according to court records and media reports.

Towamencin Township officers said they pulled over a vehicle operated by Vanherwaarden on Aug. 3 outside of the Holiday Inn and Royal Farms on Sumneytown Pike when the vehicle was observed driving erratically with no rear lights, NorthPennNow reported.

The report says that Vanherwaarden is facing his fourth DUI arrest, and that during the Towamencin encounter he reportedly told police during sobriety testing that he had a high alcohol tolerance and that he might have been slightly "buzzed" on marijuana.

Court records show that Vanherwaarden was arraigned on Aug. 4 before Magisterial District Judge Edward Levine on two felony DUI counts along with two summary counts of driving on a suspended license and having no rear vehicle lights.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 14.

Records show that Vanherwaarden was released after posting $10,000 in unsecured bail in the Towamencin case.

A search of court records for Vanherwaarden shows that he has other criminal charges pending against him in other Montgomery County municipalities.

Some of the other charges include additional DUI counts, along with counts of simple assault, terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person and disorderly conduct.