Police Captain Faces Drunken-driving Trial

By Suzanne Gordon, Inquirer Staff Writer

Posted: November 17, 1988

Lower Merion police Capt. John H. Sheehan, charged in September with driving under the influence of alcohol, waived his preliminary hearing Tuesday and will stand trial in Delaware County Court.

Sheehan was arrested by Radnor police after the car he was driving crashed into the rear of another car near Villanova University at the intersection of County Line Road and North Ithan Avenue, police said.

Appearing before Radnor District Justice Beverly Foster, Sheehan was scheduled for a formal arraignment in Delaware County Court at 9 a.m. Dec. 20.

Foster ordered him to post $1 bail.

He was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and following another vehicle too closely.

His attorney, Richard Winters, said that Sheehan was back on duty in Lower Merion; he was suspended for more than a month after his arrest Sept. 14.

Sheehan's accident was reported to police by Villanova University security guards. When Radnor police officer Marty Gurney arrived at the scene, Sheehan told him he had struck the rear of another car, which had left.

Police said that Gurney then gave Sheehan a field sobriety test, which he failed, and that Sheehan was taken to police headquarters.

Police said that Sheehan did not cooperate concerning the breath test and later refused to submit to a blood-alcohol test.

He was arrested was based on the results of the field sobriety test, police said.