Pittsburgh-area man pleads guilty to 12th DUI
A Washington County man charged with his 12th DUI has pleaded guilty, the Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office said on Friday.
William Strogish, of Ellsworth, entered a general guilty plea on Friday in front of Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Meagan Bilik-DeFazio in connection with a 2023 DUI crash that injured three people in Ligonier Township.
The 68-year-old Strogish has not had a valid driver's license since 1976 and was previously designated as a "habitual offender," the DA's office said in a news release.
Strogish was charged in November 2023 after causing a crash on Laurel Mountain in July 2023 while under the influence, officials said. He allegedly hit four motorcycle riders headed in the opposite direction of traffic on Laurel Mountain after his SUV crossed into their lane. Three of the riders were injured, authorities said.
"The victims have undergone multiple surgeries and medical procedures as a result of the accident," the district attorney's office said in the news release.
While Strogish was receiving medical attention from first responders, a beer can fell onto the ground from the driver's side floorboard, according to police.
The Washington County man will be sentenced in the next three months, according to the district attorney's office.
