Cops: Man drinking before crashing into K-9 unit car

A city man has been charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants following a head-on crash with a Philadelphia police officer yesterday morning.

The crash occurred on the eastbound lanes of the Schuylkill Expressway near the Passyunk Avenue exit shortly after 4 a.m., according to state police.

The officer, John Snyder of the city's K-9 unit, was taken to the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, state police said.

As of 9:15 a.m. yesterday, Snyder had been released with bumps and bruises, Officer Christine O'Brien, city police spokeswoman, said. His K-9 partner escaped the wreck unharmed.

State police said the crash happened when Bobby McKnight, 36, who was allegedly driving his 1999 Nissan Sentra westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-76, hit Snyder, who was in a marked police cruiser, head on.

Trooper Cris Holdeman, the investigating officer on the case, said he smelled a "strong odor" of alcohol on McKnight and that the driver admitted to imbibing alcohol before the crash.

McKnight was taken to the University of Pennsylvania Hospital with unknown injuries and was in police custody, according to an accident report. He was charged with DUI, traffic offenses and related crimes, Holdeman said. *