Driver charged in fatal DUI crash

Waives hearing on homicide by vehicle, other counts

A 21-year-old Oley Township man had a blood-alcohol level between three and four times the legal limit for driving when he was involved in a head-on crash on Route 73 in the township last summer, killing the other driver, officials said.

Dominic J. Captriolo of the first block of Carriage Circle waived a preliminary hearing Thursday afternoon before District Judge Steven Chieffo on charges of homicide by vehicle, driving under the influence of alcohol and related counts.

Captriolo remains free to await further court action.

Central Berks Regional police, who are contracted to provide police coverage to Oley Township, filed the charges early this year following an investigation of the Aug. 20 crash that claimed the life of 82-yearold Robert L. Mecherly of Colebrookdale Township.

According to the probable cause affidavit:

Several witnesses saw a Volkswagen Jetta driven by Captriolo swerving on Cleaver Road before turning onto West Philadelphia Avenue, which is Route 73, to head west about 10:20 p.m.

Two people who were eastbound on Route 73 saw the car coming at them in the wrong direction. They swerved off the road to avoid a collision and moments later heard a loud crash.

A man who was driving east behind the victim’s car saw the Jetta traveling westbound in the eastbound lane. The Jetta’s high beams came on and remained bright as the Jetta approached the victim’s car and collided head-on.

Police arrived to find the fronts of both cars completely crushed and no brake marks evident on the road.

Capriolo was unconscious in the driver’s seat of the Jetta. Two opened 12-pack cases of alcoholic seltzer beverage and several cans were strewn about the backseat.

In the other car, Mecherly was pinned against the steering column. He was pronounced dead at 11:15 p.m. by Berks County Deputy Coroner Dylan Spang.

An autopsy determined Mecherly died of multiple injuries.

Capriolo was taken by ambulance to Reading Hospital for life-threatening injuries. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the hospital to provide a sample of blood that a medical professional had drawn from Capriolo for testing.

A laboratory calculated the alcohol content between 0.269% and 0.320%. The legal limit for driving is a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08%.