2 charged with DUI in Coaldale

Coaldale police have charged two Jim Thorpe men with drunken driving.

According to affidavits of probable cause filed with District Judge Stephen Bayer, of Tamaqua, here's what happened:

In the case of Joshua C. Jones, 46, of 420 Center Ave., Officer Charles Blesse, at 2:57 a.m. Nov. 14, ran a license check on the vehicle's plate and found it had expired in September. He stopped the car in the area of E. Water and Anthracite streets, and approached the driver's side to check the driver's license, registration and proof of insurance. As he waited for the driver to gather the information, Blesse smelled a strong odor of alcohol and saw that he had red, glassy, bloodshot eyes.

Blesse asked the driver, Jones, if he had been drinking. Jones said no. After Blesse asked Jones to step out of the car, Jones admitted to having had a few beers. Jones agreed to take field sobriety tests, but failed them. He was arrested and taken to the police station for a breath test, which showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.10 percent. The threshold for drunken driving is 0.08 percent.

In the case of Mark B. Goff, 35, of 112 School St., at 3:27 a.m. Nov. 20, Blesse was behind a white Nissan going west on Water Street (SR209) when he watched the car cross the white fog line then the double yellow lines several times. The driver then went to make a left turn off West Water Street onto Sneddon Avenue. While doing so, the driver went completely into the east lane, crossing the double yellow lines. Blesse stopped the car in the area of West Miner Street and Sneddon Avenue.

When Blesse approached the driver, identified as Goff, for his required documents, he smelled a strong odor of alcohol. He observed that Goff slurred his speech and that his eyes were red, glassy and bloodshot. While Goff was gathering his documents, Blesse noticed that he had a can of Miller Light wedged between the driver's side door and and the seat.

Blesse asked Goff if he had been drinking. Goff said he'd had a few. Goff agreed to take field sobriety tests, and Blesse noted that he had a hard time balancing and had to use the side of the car for support.

Goff, who failed the tests, said he'd had three beers. Blesse arrested him for DUI and found three empty beer cans under the driver's seat.

Goff had a blood-alcohol level of 0.17 percent.