Guilty Plea From Phila. Man in His Fourth DUI Case, With Carjacking
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A Philadelphia man today pleaded guilty to his fourth DUI case, which resulted in a crash and injuries to another driver last year in Northeast Philadelphia.
Prosecutors say defendant Jason Kohler, 42, already on probation with a suspended license because of an earlier DUI crash, was high on drugs and booze last year when he ran a stop sign, crashed, then tried to flee the scene in dramatic and dangerous fashion: by attempting two carjackings of passing motorists who stopped to help.
"The defendant got into the rear of (one) car, in the rear passenger seat, and using his finger as a gun put it to the back of the man's head and told him to drive," Philadelphia assistant district attorney Mark Gilson tells KYW Newsradio. "The man actually started to drive for a distance and then realized the defendant only had a finger, at which point he stopped the car and got out. And, with the assistance of other persons, they were able pull the defendant from the car and hold him until police arrived."
Defense attorney Mary Maran says Kohler is a hard-working family guy, a stable loving husband and father -- with an addiction issue.
The defendant, who remains in custody, will be sentenced in September for driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident, and carjacking.
