BY SUSAN BRYANT

sbryant@tnonline.com

A 35-year-old Brooklyn, N.Y. man, driving a 2024 Buick Encore GX, has been charged with one count of driving under the influence after being involved in a head-on crash with a 2001 Suzuki Esteem driven by a 66-year-old Allentown man, on I-78.

The crash occurred around 4:48 a.m. Aug. 18 on I-78 West, Upper Macungie Township.

According to an affidavit of probable cause obtained from Magisterial District Judge Michael Faulkner’s office, Trooper Kyle Easly with State Police Troop M, Fogelsville, states while he and Trooper Robert Clymer were responding to a report of a silver SUV driving erratically and traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes of I-78 near mile marker 44.0, Weisenberg Township, multiple calls came reporting a head-on collision involving the SUV and a sedan near mile marker 47.4 West, Upper Macungie Township.

Easly stated upon arrival he met with Jamal D. Linton, of New York, who was wearing all black and standing next to the Buick Encore SUV, matching the description of the vehicle that was traveling in the opposite lane of travel.

Easly further states in the affidavit, upon speaking with Linton, he immediately detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath and asked him if he was driving the SUV.

He allegedly replied he was and that he was also the sole occupant.

Easly states in the affidavit that while speaking with Linton, he saw he had bloodshot and glassy eyes.

According to Easly in the affidavit, Trooper Anthony Desando and Trooper Caleb Stoeckmann arrived on scene at this point and stayed with Linton while he went to evaluate the operator of the sedan involved.

Easly stated that he and Trooper Clymer made contact with the driver of the sedan, who was laying on the ground next to the 2001 silver Suzuki Esteem that was torn in half.

Easly added he saw the front cabin and engine bay of the Suzuki Esteem approximately 100 feet west from the rear half of the vehicle.

He stated the driver of the sedan was positively identified as the 66-year-old man from Allentown.

According to Easly, the Allentown man was laying just outside the driver side front floor in a pool of blood and grunting in pain.

He sustained numerous deep lacerations to his head, arms, face and hands.

The Allentown man stated he was driving his vehicle and the Buick Encore SUV was coming right at him in the wrong lane, according to Easly in the affidavit.

According to the affidavit, Trooper Clymer stayed with him to comfort him while EMS arrived.

Easly went back to speak with the Linton.

According to the affidavit, when he went back to speak with Linton to get information from him, Trooper Desando told him he saw Linton throw a blue bottle of what appeared to be liquor into the woods.

Easly states when he started to interview Linton regarding the crash sequence, Linton could not seem to understand where he was, which highway he was traveling, or what state he was in.

According to the affidavit, Easly asked Linton if he had consumed any alcohol, to which he related he was drinking earlier in the night.

Easly then asked him for his driver’s license.

While he was looking for his license, Easly asked him what he threw into the woods.

Linton immediately became agitated by the question and started backing up, Easly states.

According to the affidavit, Easly then asked a second time as to what bottle he threw into the woods.

Easly said after the second time he asked, Linton fled on foot westbound back toward where Trooper Clymer was assisting the Allentown man.

According to Easly, he gave Linton numerous commands to stop running, which he ignored.

Linton began to run toward the eastbound lanes of 1-78 where there was consistent traffic flow.

To avoid Linton running into traffic, Easly deployed his issued Taser, the affidavit states.

Easly further states, the first deployment was ineffective as one probe hit and the other fell out.

He then attempted to deploy it a second time as Linton was climbing over the top of the concrete center barrier.

The second Taser deployment was successful and Linton fell back over to the westbound side of 1-78 while still standing and holding onto the concrete barrier. According to the affidavit, Easly then grabbed Linton using a “hip toss” and pulled him to the ground where he began to resist troopers.

Linton disobeyed numerous commands from all troopers on scene to stop resisting, Easly states.

According to Easly in the affidavit, after a brief struggle, Linton was successfully placed in handcuffs and a search of his pockets was conducted which located a New York driver’s license that positively identified him.

Linton was subsequently placed under arrest at 4:50 a.m. and assisted to the rear of a Cetronia EMS unit to be transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital, Salisbury Township, for evaluation of suspected minor injuries, the affidavit states.

At approximately 5:30 a.m., Linton was transported to the hospital, along with supervision by Trooper Desando, Easly states in the affidavit.

According to the affidavit, no field sobriety tests were conducted on scene due to Linton’s flight risk.

Easly states, while on scene two witnesses provided eyewitness accounts of the events of the incident, which were both consistent with the evidence in the case.

According to the affidavit, around 6:10 a.m., while at the hospital, Trooper Desando read Linton the DL-26B form and a legal blood draw was conducted by nursing staff at LVHN.

According to a State Police Trooper First Class Nathan T. Branosky, public information officer, with Troop M, Bethlehem, the Allentown man was transported by Cetronia Ambulance Corps to Lehigh Valley Hospital.

Easly states as the affidavit was being prepared, the man was in critical condition at LVHN after sustaining serious bodily injuries.

According to Lehigh County court records, Linton was also charged with one count each of recklessly endangering another person, resisting arrest, evading arrest or detention on foot, accidents involving death or personal injury, disorderly conduct obscene language/gesture and numerous traffic violations.

His preliminary arraignment was Aug. 18 before Magisterial District Judge Todd P. Heffelfinger, Whitehall.

Monetary bail was set at $200,000.

Linton was confined to Lehigh County Jail after he was unable to post bail.

He was released on Aug. 19 after posting bail through a professional bondsman.

His preliminary hearing is set for 9 a.m. on Sept. 19 in the DUI Center Court before Magisterial District Judge Faulkner.