Court Opinion

ID: 9646722
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 13:09:04.575996+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:11:41.073533
License: Public Domain

WATKINS, Judge,
dissenting:
I dissent, I would not hold that the officer’s actions in seeing to it that the defendant got to a hospital in another jurisdiction before he arrested the defendant deprived the officer of his right to make the arrest.
In situations involving serious automobile accidents the investigating officer’s first priority must be to see that those injured receive proper medical attention as soon as possible. Merely because an officer does this and sends an injured *71motor vehicle operator to a hospital in another municipality rather than immediately arresting him does not divest the officer of his right to make the arrest. I would hold that 19 P.S. § 11 is sufficiently broad to cover this type of situation, as said Act is a procedural one and not one involving substantive criminal law. As such, it need not be so strictly construed. I would affirm the conviction.