Report: Police Investigate Cranberry Methadone Clinic’s Procedures Following Fatal Crash in Connoquenessing

State police and government officials are investigating Discovery House in Cranberry after a patient at the methadone clinic was involved in a fatal car accident in Connoquenessing Township last month, the Pittsburgh Tribune Review reports.

State police charged Renfrew resident Justin Enslen, 25, with vehicular homicide and vehicular homicide while driving on a suspended license after a head-on collision Feb. 18 on Route 68 that killed 52-year-old Butler resident Mark Bishop. Bishop’s sister, Holly Merkner, 41, of Lyndora, also suffered minor injuries in the crash.

Enslen was coming from the Discovery House in Cranberry when he crossed the center lane of the highway in Connoquenessing and slammed into the car Bishop was driving, the Trib reports.

State police Lt. Eric Hermick told the Trib that Enslen, a recovering heroin addict, had other drugs in his system at the time of the crash. Authorities are investigating what liability the methadone clinic may have in the collision, including whether the clinic knowingly gave Enslen medication while he was on other drugs, he said.  

Christine Cronkright, a spokeswoman for Gov. Tom Corbett, told the Trib the state also is investigating the matter. If there are findings of non-compliance, the clinic would be added to the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs' website under the treatment agency survey results, she said.

Rob Kornacki, director of development for Discovery House, told the Trib that the clinic, which has 17 clinics nationwide, would cooperate with police.

Cronkright noted to the Trib that Pennsylvania has no specific law related to methadone use and driving, but that laws against impaired driving related to prescribed medications or illegal drugs do apply.

The state set up the Methadone Death and Serious Incident Review Team, overseen by the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, last year, she said.

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