Crime & Safety

Man Crashes Into Two Cars a Total of Three Times While Drunk, Police Say

A Norristown man was arrested on suspicion of DUI after he allegedly crashed into a vehicle and fled; he was apparently fleeing from an earlier hit-and-run, police said.

Orlando Santiago-Marquez, 30, of the 600 block of West Lafayette Street, was arrested last Tuesday at the corner of Butler Pike and Blue Ridge Road after he struck two vehicles, police said.

According to police, a caller said that a man driving a dark sedan, later identified as Santiago-Marquez, struck her car in a parking lot in the unit block of Ridge Pike on Oct. 1 at about 8:30 p.m. and then fled northbound on Butler Pike. The caller also said that a white sedan seemed to be following the vehicle that struck her car, according to the report. 

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The driver of the white sedan, told police that he was traveling westbound in the unit block of Ridge Pike when he was sideswiped by a dark sedan, police said. The two drivers then pulled over and started to exchange information, but the driver of the dark sedan left without providing any info, police said.

According to police, the driver of the white sedan was able to catch up to the dark sedan near the corner of Ridge and Butler pikes. The driver of the dark sedan, Santiago-Marquez, agreed to pull over into a parking lot to exchange information ... but he then fled again without providing information. While fleeing, he struck the initial caller's vehicle, police said.

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Police said that the driver of the white sedan followed Santiago-Marquez on Butler Pike. Santiago-Marquez, after attempting to lose the driver, then turned into a parking lot in the unit block of Germantown Pike. The driver of the white sedan and Santiago-Marquez got into an argument, and Santiago-Marquez then fled on foot, police said.

Santiago-Marquez did not take his vehicle out of gear when he fled, and his vehicle rolled back and struck the white sedan again, police said.

According to police, Santiago-Marquez smelled of alcohol, was extremely unsteady on his feet and had slurred speech.

Charges are pending blood results, police said.

According to court records, Santiago-Marquez was sentenced to 30 days to six months jail time after pleading guilty to DUI in 2010; he also received a jail sentence of five to 23 months following a 2008 guilty plea for simple assault. 


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