DANVILLE - A Geisinger doctor faces charges of driving under the influence after borough police found him passed out in an SUV marked with Geisinger Medical Center decals found running in his driveway.
Danville Borough Police charged pediatric cardiologist John C. Ring, 62, of Danville, Dec. 17 with driving under the influence - third offense charges - following an investigation into the Dec. 13 incident. Ring is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Wednesday, Jan. 15, before Magisterial District Judge Marvin Shrawder, of Danville.
The (Bloomsburg) Press-Enterprise said borough police officer Francine Gibson was patrolling Meadow Lane, where she found a running Ford Escape in a driveway at approximately 12:45 a.m. Gibson said the vehicle's lights were on and the tailgate window was open.
Gibson returned to the area 20 minutes later and found the SUV in the same spot and still running, the newspaper reported. Gibson found Ring sitting inside the vehicle, apparently asleep. When she woke him and asked for ID, the doctor allegedly kept trying to unlock his cell phone. When asked for his birthdate, Ring said "DOT 51," according to the newspaper.
The officer said she noticed a strong odor of alcohol when the doctor opened the door, but Ring allegedly told police he only had one beer. The officer said Ring could not perform field sobriety as instructed. Ring refused to have his blood alcohol level tested at the hospital, and he was released into the custody of a neighbor, according to the newspaper.