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125827455_web1_Letter-to-the-editor1

Your view: Confirmation hearings a disgrace

WILKES-BARRE &mdash; A couple from Wilmington, Del., has filed a civil lawsuit against a Luzerne County lawyer who is facing criminal vehicular homicide charges for a fatal drunken crash in Carbon County.
				Pan Tso, along with his wife, Susan Tso, filed the two count suit in Luzerne County Court on Wednesday against Joseph L. Persico, 70, of Shavertown.
				According to the lawsuit filed by Attorney Wayne R. Goldenberg of Philadelphia, Persico was intoxicated and driving the wrong direction in the northbound lanes of the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-476) on Nov. 6, 2018.
				The suit alleges Persico, operating a 2015 Audi A4, passed numerous vehicles with motorists flashing their high beams to alert Persico he was traveling the wrong way.
				Persico struck a 2003 Honda Civic, driven by Paul R. Gerrity, head-on, which caused Gerrity&rsquo;s vehicle to spin and collide with Pan Tso&rsquo;s 2018 Toyota Corolla.
				Gerrity died from injuries sustained in the crash.
				The suit alleges Persico was intoxicated and drove a vehicle in a negligent and reckless way that created an unreasonable risk of physical harm to Gerrity, Pan Tso and other motorists.
				Pan Tso claims in the suit he suffered serious and possibly permanent injuries to include herniated cervical discs, lumbar spine and a sprained shoulder.
				The suit seeks $50,000 on each of the two counts, negligence and loss of of consortium.
				A lawsuit filed on behalf of Gerrity&rsquo;s estate against Persico was settled out-of-court for more than $1.3 million.
				State police at Pocono in January 2020 charged Persico with vehicular homicide, aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence, homicide by vehicle while DUI, and other offenses.
				State police allege in court records that Persico had a blood alcohol level of .22 percent after the crash.
				An adult driver in Pennsylvania is considered legally intoxicated with a blood alcohol level of .08 percent.
				Charges against Persico remain open in Carbon County Court. A pre-trial conference is scheduled for Nov. 9.

Second lawsuit filed against Shavertown attorney charged in drunken fatal crash