PA state senator investigated for DUI

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - A motorcycle crash on an eastern Pennsylvania interstate that injured a powerful state senator is being investigated as a possible case of driving under the influence, authorities said.

Sen. Patrick Browne, who previously had his license suspended following two DUI crashes, was operating a Harley-Davidson motorcycle that went out of control on an Interstate 78 off-ramp Saturday afternoon in Allentown, state police said. The motorcycle fell on its side and slid along the roadway until it came to rest, according to investigators.

State Senate Republican leaders said Browne, 51, was in stable condition Sunday but expected to remain in the hospital "for the upcoming days."

"Pat has suffered considerable injuries," Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati and Majority Leader Jake Corman said in a statement. "We have spoken with Pat's wife, Heather, who is with him. Our sincere thoughts and prayers are with Pat, Heather and their family during this very difficult time."

State police said they were investigating the possibility intoxication was a factor in the crash. Browne's license was suspended after drunk-driving crashes in 1995 and 1999, and he told The Associated Press in 2010 that the experiences have influenced his approach to legislating.

"I've become more familiar and more adept on the issues related to addiction and recovery," Browne said. "It's something that's faced me personally and something I live with every day."

Saturday's crash remains under investigation and no charges have been filed. Browne, R-Lehigh, and his chief of staff didn't immediately return messages left Sunday seeking comment.

The Allentown resident was elected to the state Senate in 2005 after a decade in the state House and served as the Senate majority whip, responsible for rounding up votes, from 2010 to 2014.

After November's election, Browne was named chairman of the Senate appropriations committee and has taken the lead on legislation that would overhaul the state's two major public employee pension systems in light of their huge debts, shifting all new state and school employees into a 401(k)-style plan.