Fort Washington man strikes parked car, flees to buy beer, police said

A nighttime vehicle accident in a parking lot of a popular area restaurant led Upper Dublin Police to a DUI arrest, according to reports. Ambler Police notified the department as the Bethlehem Pike location was within the township.

On Sunday, Sept. 1, around 9:35 p.m., Upper Dublin police reported that they arrived to the parking lot of Fireside Bar and Grille, when Ambler police relayed that a driver of a gray Mazda had been involved in an accident but left the scene. According to reports the Mazda was now in the lot of Giuseppe’s, and Ambler police told UDPD that the driver may be intoxicated.

Police said that they made contact with the driver of the Mazda, and noticed that it had “fresh damage to the rear driver side bumper.” The driver was identified as Michael S. Pouchan, 56, of the 400 block of South Bethlehem Pike in Fort Washington, reports said.

Pouchan said that he and his girlfriend arrived at the Fireside restaurant around 7:30 to 8 p.m. and had dinner. He said he had “one double vodka and tonic in the few hours they were there,” police reported. He said, when they came out of the restaurant, he noticed the damage but did not see it happen. According to reports, he then traveled over to Giuseppe’s to get beer to take home.

Police said that, while speaking to Pouchan, they noticed that his speech was “slurred and deliberate,” while his eyes were bloodshot and glassy and he had trouble keeping his eyes open. Reports stated that police could also smell an odor of alcohol on Pouchan’s breath, describing him as “very argumentative” and as giving the wrong address for his apartment

The owner of a 2014 gray Chevy Equinox said his car was also parked near Fireside, police said, when restaurant staff told him it had been hit. He told police he thought they were joking but went to view his car as the person who hit it drove over to Giuseppe’s, according to witnesses. He tried to get the driver’s attention but could not, police said.

The Chevy had scratches to the rear passenger’s side bumper, consistent with reported events, police said. After collecting witness information and investigating the matter, police said that Pouchan struck a vehicle in the parking lot and fled.

According to reports, police requested for Pouchan to conduct field sobriety tests, but he refused. At 9:51 p.m., he was placed under arrest, said police.

Pouchan later agreed to a blood test, once transported to UPPD, and a sample was taken around 10:18 p.m. by Community Ambler Ambulance, police said. On Sept. 9 blood results came back showing that Pouchan’s sample was positive with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.304, according to reports.

Pouchan was charged with driving under the influence, generally incapable of driving safely, first offense, as well as driving under the influence at the highest rate of BAC. He was also charged with causing an accident to an unattended vehicle.

Pouchan is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing on Nov. 8 at 9:30 a.m. before Magisterial District Justice Douglas H. Lavenberg.  

All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.