Pennsylvania State Representatives Craig Williams (R-Chadds Ford) and Chris Quinn (R-Media) on Friday lauded area lawmakers and activists for their work toward enactment of “Deana’s Law,” which toughens drunk-driving sentences.
The new act is named after Deana DeRosa Eckman, a 45-year-old Delaware County resident who died in a February 2019 car collision caused by six-time DUI (driving under the influence) offender David Strowhouer in Upper Chichester Township. Strowhouer had a blood-alcohol content of 0.199, more than twice the level the commonwealth permits, and was driving 80 miles per hour before striking Eckman’s vehicle head-on.
Before now, state law subjected DUI recidivists to concurrent sentences, allowing them to serve multiple jail terms at the same time. Strowhouer was himself given concurrent sentences of one-to-five years. Deana’s Law will require DUI sentences to run consecutively.
“As a former prosecutor, I was grateful for the opportunity to work with colleagues in the House and Senate to memorialize Deana Eckman with a law that will save lives,” Williams said in a statement. “Serial criminal offenses, like the multiple DUIs that led to Deana’s death, show a disregard for the law that threatens our communities. Consecutive sentencing is a stiff punishment that offers additional teeth for our prosecutors to use against habitual offenders.”
The legislation passed the State House of Representatives 168-32 last November and passed the State Senate 46-4 earlier this month. Most of the opposition came from progressive Democrats, some of whom cited the opposition of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, which generally urges rejection of mandatory minimum sentences. Gov. Tom Wolf (D) nonetheless signed the measure last week; it takes effect in four months.
Williams and Quinn credited Sen. John Kane (D-Chester) as well as Kane’s Republican predecessor Tom Killion for their work on the law over the last two legislative sessions. Quinn praised Eckman’s parents, Rich and Roseann DeRosa, for their dedication in raising awareness of the issue over the last three years. He furthermore lauded organizations including the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, the State Police, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving for their input in drafting Deana’s Law.
“Today marks the end of an effort that began more than three years ago, shortly after the tragic and senseless death of Deana DeRosa Eckman,” Quinn said. “Her memory is now permanently enshrined in state law, and Pennsylvanians will be better protected from the worst-of-the-worst repeat DUI offenders because of Deana’s Law.”
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Bradley Vasoli is managing editor of The Pennsylvania Daily Star. Follow Brad on Twitter at @BVasoli. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Craig Williams” by PA State Rep. Craig Williams. Photo “Chris Quinn” by PA State Rep. Chris Quinn. Background Photo “Pulled Over” by Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious. CC BY-SA 2.0.
