Man Gets Third DUI in 12 Months

Upper Dublin Police arrested James Carmine Merrill, 39, of Mohahan Avenue, Staten Island, N.Y., on Jan. 9 at 1:39 a.m. after he was seen passed out behind the steering wheel of a blue Ford Escape in the Best Western Hotel lot on Commerce Avenue, police said.

According to police, an officer knocked on the windows of the small SUV several times to wake Merrill up; when he woke up, he was lethargic and confused.

Merrill was unable to work the windows of his vehicle, so the police officer opened the passenger side door to speak with him, police said. There was a strong odor of alcohol coming from the passenger compartment.

According to police, Merrill said he was going to, and coming from Newtown, Pa. He had trouble answering simple questions, was unsteady on his feet and his pants were disheveled and his belt was undone — there was also a large wet area near the driver’s side door.

Merrill was arrested and arraigned before he was released because he was from out of state. This is Merrill’s third DUI in 12 months and his blood alcohol content was 0.221 percent, police said.