Losing control: Philly beset by high rate of drunken driving

FERDINAND RAMIREZ-Villaneuva died instantly on I-95 last Friday when he tried to avoid an apparent drunken driver who was speeding out of control on the expressway before noon.

Cindy Grassi was taken off a ventilator Saturday night and died after she and her friend, Sandra Wacker, were struck by an alleged intoxicated driver following a Cardinals-Phillies game on Thursday. Wacker remains in critical condition at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

And last night, a 19th District cop was injured when a man who cops say was drunk barreled into his police cruiser at an intersection in Overbrook.

In just five days in Philly, two were killed and seven injured because people who were drunk or high on drugs got behind a wheel and lost control.

In fact, so far this year, the number of DUI arrests are up by more than 700 compared with the same time period last year, according to Officer Jeffrey Hannan, of the city's Accident Investigations Division.

The exact numbers were not readily available late yesterday, but Hannan estimated it to be a 20 percent increase over last year.

Local anti-drunken-driving groups remain exasperated that so many impaired people continue to get behind the wheel.

"People need to understand the war on drunk driving is not over," said Bonnie Weiner, executive director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving of Southeastern PA. "Drunk driving continues to be a public health hazard."

Almost half of the DUI cases result from people driving after taking some type of controlled substance, Hannan said.

On weeknights, the majority of impaired drivers stopped by cops test positive for drugs such as Percocet, Oxycontin and Xanax, he said.

Alcohol consumption is higher on weekends. Cocaine and marijuana also are on the rise then, too, he said.

"People think DUI [driving under the influence] is just drinking and driving," Hannan said. "They take their prescription and then drive. They don't think that's driving under the influence."

On average, AID handles about 120 DUI cases each week, said the division's Lt. Jim McCarrick.

And last week was one of the deadliest.

Grassi, 43, a retired physical-education teacher, and Wacker, 36, a fourth-grade teacher, both from St. Louis, came to Philly as part of their yearly "girls trip."

They were crossing Broad Street near Curtin, in South Philadelphia, when they were struck by a driver who police say ran a red light. Both women were rushed to HUP.

Cops initially charged Joseph Genovese Jr., 18, of Juniper Street near Curtin, with driving under the influence, aggravated assault and other charges. Police did not disclose what substances they believe Genovese consumed before driving.

Since Grassi died, Genovese, accompanied by his lawyer and family members, turned himself in yesterday to AID where charges were changed to vehicular manslaughter, recklessly endangering another person and related charges.

The Grassi and Wacker tragedy happened less than 24 hours before another DUI fatality on I-95.

Steven Hafto, 25, of Berlin, N.J., who police say was driving under the influence, rammed into the back of Ramirez-Villaneuva's 1993 blue Ford Ranger pickup, police said.

The pickup then flipped over, jumped the center guardrail - ejecting Ramirez-Villaneuva and his companion, Anna Torres, 49 - and landed in oncoming traffic in the northbound lanes.

Ramirez-Villaneuva died at the scene of the wreckage. Torres remains in stable condition at Hahnemann University Hospital, police said. Four others were injured.

Hafto has been charged with DUI, homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault, involuntary manslaughter, recklessly endangering another person and simple assault.

Police are awaiting toxicology reports to determine Hafto's blood-alcohol level. He was awaiting arraignment at Police Headquarters last night.

Not even law-enforcement officers are protected from an impaired driver.

About 50 police cruisers are involved in car accidents a year, Hannan said, although he couldn't determine how many clearly were caused by an impaired driver.

The most recent case involved a cop from the 19th District, in West Philadelphia, who was struck on the passenger side by a drunken driver at Parkside Avenue near Wynnefield shortly after midnight yesterday, police said. The police officer was responding to a call when the driver collided into the cruiser at the intersection.

Both men were treated for minor injuries and released. The driver, whose identity was not available, was arrested.

Beginning in May, DUI sobriety checkpoints were set up throughout the city, McCarrick said.

There are 25 so far and more will be placed in areas with a large number of DUI cases and car accidents, he said. They'll operate through Thanksgiving.

During these stops, cops ask drivers questions and try to detect any erratic behavior or slurring, he said.

Next month is DUI Awareness Month, McCarrick said, in which AID and other groups will announce a joint effort to reduce cases.

AID's newest toy, Hannan said yesterday, sits outside the division at 26th and Master streets.

The large armored truck, equipped with breathalyzers, table stations for processing, two high-powered generators and lights, is a great asset in traffic stops, he said.

"On any given night, we pick up 10 to 15 people in this," Hannan said, standing in the doorway of the custom-made vehicle.

Hannan maintains that the division wants to remain fair and celebrants are allowed, to, well, celebrate, he said.

"As long as they're not driving, then it's fine," he said.

MADD, Weiner said, will launch its own initiative to crack down and lower the number of drunken-driving cases by pushing to require alcohol ignition interlock devices - similar to breathalyzers - for all convicted drunken drivers.

"This is to confirm that we need to promote MADD's campaign to eliminate drunk driving," she said. *

Staff writers Stephanie Farr and Christine Olley contributed to this report.