BEAVER SPRINGS — Frank H. Gossler’s nine-year-old granddaughter described him looking like a “zombie” as she asked him to pull over before he crashed his Dodge Dakota into another vehicle while allegedly driving under the influence of prescription medications in Spring Township in late July.
Gossler, 64, of 44 Turkey Hill, Beaver Springs, told police he had taken a Vicodin and a sleeping pill on July 31 before he drove his granddaughter to camp, state police at Selinsgrove said.
At about 9:37 a.m., Dennis Ewing reported that he was following Gossler’s 2006 Dodge Dakota as it traveled south on Stage Road in Beaver Springs, Snyder County, in an erratic manner and in the opposite lane, forcing another motorist off the road to avoid a collision, court records said.
Ewing said Gossler continued traveling onto Ridge Road toward Route 522, swiped up against a guard rail and drove into a ditch, court records said.
Traveling out of the ditch and into a bank parking lot, Gossler’s vehicle allegedly drove into a stopped vehicle driven by Tyson Manning.
Manning, who also reported seeing Gossler driving erratically and forcing two other vehicles of the road, said he was stopped in his vehicle about 10 yards away when Gossler drove out of the ditch and into the parking lot.
“Manning said (Gossler) looked him straight in the eye and then hit the gas,” court records said.
After Gossler’s vehicle struck his driver side door, Manning was forced out of his vehicle through the passenger door.
Gossler told police at the scene that didn’t recall driving or striking anything, court records said.
His 9-year-old granddaughter described a harrowing drive, with Gossler driving all over the road and striking a mail box on Stull Road.
Saying her grandfather “looked like zombie while driving,” the girl said she asked him to stop the vehicle but he ignored her, court records said.
Tests showed that Gossler had high levels of Hydrocodone, court records said.
He is charged with driving under the influence of a controlled substance, endangering the welfare of a child, recklessly endangering another person, careless driving and driving on the wrong side of the road and related summary traffic violations.
An Oct. 25 preliminary hearing is scheduled before District Judge Lori R. Hackenberg in Middleburg.
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