Carbon County court – fleeing from police

A Schuylkill County man was sentenced to a prison term on Monday in Carbon County court after pleading to a fleeing and eluding police charge.

Tim O’Brien, 30, of Coaldale, was sentenced by Judge Steven R. Serfass to serve three to one day less 24 months in prison on the charge. In exchange for the plea the district attorney’s office dropped one count of resisting arrest and six motor vehicle code violations.

O’Brien was arrested on Jan. 24 by Nesquehoning police who attempted a traffic stop. O’Brien refused to stop and fled the scene with police in pursuit. He eventually stopped the vehicle but then fled on foot. He was later apprehended.

He told Serfass, “I made a mistake by not pulling over.”

In addition to the prison term, O’Brien was ordered to get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, pay court costs of about $1,000, pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on parole and render 100 hours of community service when paroled. He was fined $25 and costs on a summary motor vehicle code violation.

O’Brien, an inmate in the county prison on the charge, was given credit for 46 days already served.

Thorpe incident

Alex Rehrig, 30, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count each of fleeing or eluding police and driving under suspension, DUI related. He was arrested by Jim Thorpe police on Oct. 4, 2017, along Lehigh Avenue. In exchange for the plea the DA dropped a charge of operating a vehicle with a interlock system and four motor vehicle code violation charges.

On the suspension count, Rehrig is facing a prison term of 60 to 90 days.

Sentencing was deferred so he can apply for placement in the Intermediate Punishment Program, house arrest.