Charges have been filed against a Westmoreland County man following an incident in which he allegedly attempted to ride a wheelie southbound in the 1500 block of Main Street in Hellertown.
The alleged incident occurred shortly after 1 p.m. April 22, when Hellertown police say Trent Dallas Lash, 25, of Irwin, attempted the wheelie on his motorcycle on a section of Main between High Street and Cherry Lane.
A rider performs a wheelie on a motorcycle. Hellertown Police say an Irwin, Pa., man was arrested after allegedly attempting to ride a wheelie on Main Street last month. (STOCK IMAGE)
According to a Hellertown Police Department press release, Lash was subsequently stopped and found to be operating the motorcycle without both insurance and valid registration. The release also indicated that Lash wasn’t wearing a helmet and didn’t possess a valid Class M license or learner’s permit. Under Pennsylvania’s Motorcycle Helmet law, a person operating a motorcycle must wear protective headgear unless he or she is over 21 and has either two years of riding experience or has completed a motorcycle safety course approved by PennDOT or the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.
Lash was also found to possess an ignition interlock license, police said, but no such device was installed on the motorcycle he was operating.
Ignition interlock devices (IID) are handheld breathalyzers that prevent a vehicle from starting if alcohol is detected on the operator’s breath.
Court records show that Lash previously pleaded guilty to counts of DUI: Controlled Substance or Metabolite and DUI: Impaired Ability in Westmoreland County in March 2019 in a case filed by Pennsylvania State Police at Greensburg the previous year. The DUI counts were labeled “first offense” in the court records for that case.
Under Pennsylvania law, an individual convicted of a second or subsequent offense of DUI is required to have an ignition interlock system installed on each motor vehicle they own, operate or lease for a period of one year. According to the law, an individual convicted of operating a vehicle not equipped with an IID when one is required by their license may be subject to an extension of their IID requirement as well as other penalties.
The charges Lash faces in Hellertown were filed April 26 in Northampton County District Court 03-2-04 in Lower Saucon Township.
Court records show Lash faces a misdemeanor charge of Operating a Vehicle Without Ignition Interlock as well as summary charges of Operating a Vehicle Without Valid Inspection, Reckless Driving, Operating a Vehicle Without Required Financial Responsibility, Use of Improper Class of License, Not Wearing Proper Headgear On Motorcycle and Driving an Unregistered Vehicle.
Lash now awaits a preliminary hearing date. Court records do not list an attorney for Lash.
Note: All individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This story was compiled using information from the Hellertown Police Department and court documents from Westmoreland and Northampton counties.