Drunk Driver Sentenced In Bucks Crash That Injured 4 Teens

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — A local man has been sentenced for the DUI-related car crash that seriously injured four teenagers last year.

Shane Brolly, 25, a non-U.S. citizen from Northern Ireland, was sentenced to 15 to 30 years in state prison after the courts found him guilty of causing a crash that injured four Neshaminy High School. He was also sentenced to an additional 72 hours to six months for a count of DUI-Highest Rate of Alcohol; this part of the sentence will run consecutively after his time in state prison.

The incident occurred in the 300 block of Bridgetown Pike in Northampton Township on March 27, 2021. Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey Finley oversaw the sentencing.

Back in January, Brolly plead guilty before Judge Finley to the following charges: Five counts of Aggravated Assault, Five counts of Aggravated Assault by Vehicle while DUI, Five counts of Aggravated Assault by Vehicle, Accidents Involving Death or Injury While Not Licensed, Eight counts of Recklessly Endangering Another Person, DUI-General Impairment, DUI-Highest Rate of Alcohol, Driving at Unsafe Speeds, Careless Driving, and Disregarding Traffic Lanes.

During the sentencing, Finley told Brolly "You are a lucky man that you are not here facing numerous counts of homicide by vehicle."

Finley also ordered Brolly to pay restitution of more than $62,000 to the victims for unpaid medical expenses, according to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office.

According to Deputy District Attorney Robert D. James, who spoke in court back in January, Brolly had been drinking for several hours before the car crash, which occurred at 10:10 p.m. on that night in March. He had been denied service at a Philadelphia bar hours before the accident because he was heavily intoxicated, according to court documents.

Friends of Brolly asked him not to drive because of his condition, with many offering him a ride and a place to stay. Brolly, a non-US citizen, did not have a valid Pennsylvania driver's license at the time of the accident.

On the night of the accident, Brolly attempted to pass a car in a no-passing zone on the 300 block of Bridgetown Pike. In doing so, he struck a Mazda SUV, which contained four teenage girls. The Mazda rolled several times while Brolly's truck ended up going into the other lane, striking another car. Brolly was driving 70 MPH at the time of impact and did not brake.

The teenage girls, now being referred to as the "Neshaminy Four", suffered a multitude of injuries, including broken bones and fractures, traumatic brain injuries, internal injuries that required surgery, and multiple lacerations, all of which they are still receiving treatments for. The passages of the other vehicle were treated at the scene. Brolly's passenger also received injuries as a result.

All four teenagers, who will be graduating from Neshaminy High School this month, gave impact statements on the negative effects this crash has had on their lives for the past year.

According to witnesses, Brolly began drinking in the early afternoon, steadily drinking beers throughout the day. He went to several drinking establishments before ultimately being denied at a Philadelphia bar for his intoxication. He left in the truck he was driving and caused the accident 2o minutes later.

A GoFundMe was set up by a Bucks County couple in order to assist with medical bills related to the girls' injuries. As of today, it has raised $150,148 of its $175,000 goal.

During the trial, Bucks County courts received legal paperwork from Northern Ireland, Brolly's home country, showing that he also had an active arrest warrant out of the country related to him entering a guilty plea in September of 2019 from a police pursuit that reached speeds of 114 miles per hour in June of that year.

During the incident in Ireland, Brolly crashed his car and tried to flee on foot, according to Northern Irish authorities. He admitted to consuming six or seven pints of beer before driving.

Brolly later fled his home country prior to sentencing for the 2019 incident.