{"id":7345,"date":"2021-01-07T12:30:29","date_gmt":"2021-01-07T19:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scramsystems.com\/blog\/?p=7345"},"modified":"2021-01-07T12:30:30","modified_gmt":"2021-01-07T19:30:30","slug":"pennsylvania-dui-legislation-impacted-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scramsystems.com\/blog\/2021\/01\/pennsylvania-dui-legislation-impacted-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Proposed Pennsylvania DUI Legislation \u2018Deana\u2019s Law\u2019 Impacted by COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Fight for Mandated Alcohol Monitoring Continues into 2021<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Rich and Roseann DeRosa\u2019s daughter, Deana Eckman, was killed by a repeat DUI offender on February 16, 2019, in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Since that time, they have been working tirelessly to prevent other families from having to face the anguish of losing a loved one to drunk driving. Unfortunately, like so many other things in 2020, this mission was sidelined by COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Struck Down by a Repeat Drunk Driver<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Authorities report that at the time of the crash that killed Deana, the 30-year-old driver, David Strowhouer, had a blood-alcohol content of 0.199\u2014more than double the legal definition of impaired driving. He was speeding along at nearly 80 miles per hour when he crossed a double yellow line and struck Eckman, 45, and her husband, Chris, head-on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the heartbreak of the loss itself came the realization that this was not Strowhouer\u2019s first brush with the law. In fact, Strowhouer had accumulated five previous DUIs in less than 10 years prior to crashing into the Eckmans. This is why Deana\u2019s Law is focused on addressing the issue of repeat DUI offenders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Deana Eckman<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Deana\u2019s Law\u2019: Designed to Mandate Alcohol Monitoring<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since their daughter\u2019s death, the DeRosas have learned more about Pennsylvania DUI statutes and sentencing guidelines than any parent would ever want. With the help of now-former Senator Tom Killion, they introduced and almost passed Deana\u2019s Law<\/a> (SB773), which would have increased sanctions for repeat DUI offenders. The bill\u2019s intent was to increase jail time for some repeat DUI offenders, as well as require continuous alcohol monitoring<\/a> as a condition of bail, probation, and parole. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deana\u2019s Law was set for final passage on November 20, 2020, when the House of Representatives was informed of a COVID-19 outbreak. This news required the House to end session early and cancel future session days. Deana\u2019s law was literally on the one-yard line when it fell victim to the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the DeRosa\u2019s can attest, the most dangerous drivers on the road are high-risk, repeat impaired drivers. They pose a higher crash risk; they are disproportionately involved in fatal crashes. Yet they often elude accountability. In 2010, researchers analyzed more than 100 million Maryland driving records<\/a> from 1973 to 2004 and found:<\/p>\n\n\n\n