Hazleton Area School Board member charged with DUI

Standard-Speaker (Hazleton, PA)

Oct. 30--A school director was charged Wednesday with drunken driving after his vehicle hit two parked vehicles in West Hazleton in September.

Anthony Bonomo was charged with two counts of driving under the influence and traffic offenses for the crash on Sept. 10 in the 600 block of North Broad Street, borough police Chief Brian Buglio said.

Bonomo served on the Hazleton Area School Board for 16 years and is on the ballot for reelection Tuesday. He received the most votes among all candidates in the Republican and Democratic primaries.

Two weeks ago, Buglio said he was waiting for results of laboratory tests before concluding the investigation.

On Wednesday, the chief said video taken after the crash that appeared on social media this week had no bearing on the investigation.

"People are saying, 'The police didn't do anything. Why did it take so long?'" Buglio said. "Nothing was done differently with this investigation than from any other investigation. There's still a procedure we need to follow."

Normally, crime labs take one to two months to report tests of blood alcohol and "this case was right in line with the normal time limits," Buglio said in a text message.

He said Bonomo also was charged with careless driving and limitations on backing.

Marvin and Sharleen Graaf said they were watching television at their home on North Broad Street on Sept. 10 when they heard a big thud.

"Here's this gentleman with a Lexus. He pushed my GMC pickup truck on the sidewalk over the curb. The curb is like 6 inches high," Marvin Graaf said.

"When I came out, he put it in reverse, did a 180 and hit the neighbor's car," Graaf said.

Police arrived soon after and placed Bonomo in handcuffs, Graaf said.

The Graafs received a check from Bonomo's insurance company for their 2005 pickup truck, which was totaled. With the check, they purchased a 2004 Chevrolet pickup truck.

Bonomo did not reply to a text message seeking comment about the crash.

-- Kent Jackson

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