Woman admits to DUI in Whitemarsh crash
NORRISTOWN >> A woman who was driving drunk when her vehicle crashed into a tree in Whitemarsh Township potentially faces time in jail after she admitted to causing serious injuries to a passenger in the vehicle.
Nancy Yorro, 40, of the 2800 block of North 2nd Street, Philadelphia, pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court to a felony charge of aggravated assault by a vehicle while driving under the influence of alcohol in connection with the July 2018 crash in Whitemarsh.
Judge Risa Vetri Ferman deferred sentencing so that court officials can complete a background investigation report about Yorro, including drug and alcohol evaluations. Yorro was permitted to remain free on bail pending a sentencing hearing later this year.
Yorro faces a possible maximum sentence of 5-to-10-years in prison on the charge. However, state sentencing guidelines could allow for a lesser sentence.
The investigation began about 8 p.m. July 15, 2018, when Whitemarsh police responded to a report of a one-vehicle crash with injuries in the area of Ridge Pike and Spring Mill Road. Arriving officers observed a 2013 Toyota Corolla “off the roadway and crashed into a large tree,” Whitemarsh Police Officer Richard Stemple alleged in the arrest affidavit.
“The Toyota was traveling eastbound on Ridge Pike and drifted off the right side of the roadway. The Toyota hit a curb driving up on the sidewalk before traveling about 100 feet striking a tree,” Stemple alleged in the criminal complaint.
Police said Yorro and a front-seat passenger, a 54-year-old male, had to be extricated from the vehicle and they were flown by medical helicopter to Penn Presbyterian Hospital for treatment.
The male passenger, who was bleeding from the nose and complained of pain in his chest and abdomen, suffered a closed abdominal injury and fractured ribs, police alleged.
Yorro, who complained of pain in her legs and chest, suffered a broken right clavicle, an ankle fracture and a wound to the abdomen, police said.
Rescue personnel said they detected an odor of alcohol on Yorro’s breath and they said she admitted to drinking alcohol prior to the crash. The male passenger also admitted to drinking alcohol and on his person police found a receipt from a Conshohocken restaurant that showed “multiple alcohol purchases made less than two hours prior to the crash,” police alleged.
Blood tests subsequently determined Yorro had a blood-alcohol content of 0.165 percent, which is two times the legal limit of 0.08 percent, at the time of the crash, according to the arrest affidavit.
Investigators also analyzed crash data information from the vehicle and determined that five seconds before the crash, Yorro was on the accelerator 100 percent and that the Toyota was traveling 60.9 mph two seconds before the crash, according to the arrest affidavit.
The posted speed limit in the area of the crash is 35 mph, police said.
“The injuries sustained by (the male passenger) from the crash were severe enough in nature to cause serious bodily injury, which was a direct result of Yorro operating her vehicle while driving under the influence of alcohol and speeding,” Stemple alleged in court papers. “There were no weather conditions or visibility conditions at the time that would have contributed to the crash.
“Yorro’s reckless driving in combination with alcohol are major contributors to this crash,” Stemple alleged.
“The Toyota was traveling eastbound on Ridge Pike and drifted off the right side of the roadway.” _ Whitemarsh Police Officer Richard Stemple