A Columbia man was sentenced to 16 months to 7 years in prison after he was convicted of his fifth DUI since 2013 at the conclusion of a July trial.

Dung Van Dang, 49 of the first block of Circle Drive, was sentenced by Lancaster County Judge Dennis E. Reinaker on November 2, 2022.

Dang will also have to pay $3,600 in fines.

Assistant District Attorney Kyle Linardo prosecuted the case and presented evidence during trial from the arresting troopers’ MVR videos, which showed the ensuing sobriety test, and testimony from the troopers.

Dang was convicted of DUI – high rate of alcohol and DUI – general impairment after the trial, both third-degree felonies.

A Pennsylvania State Trooper witnessed Dang, driving a white BMW, illegally pass another vehicle in the center lane on Lincoln Highway East near the intersection of McIlvaine Road in Paradise Township.

As the trooper continued to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle, Dang parked in a nearby apartment complex and walked out of his vehicle into the apartment complex’s breezeway. The trooper then ran the registration on the vehicle and went back onto Lincoln Highway East to continue his other assignment.

The registration came back to the defendant, but with a Philadelphia address. The trooper recognized the defendant might be trying to avoid him and turned back around before encountering the defendant walking on the shoulder of Lincoln Highway East, approximately 300 feet from where the BMW was parked. The trooper obtained Dang’s identification and it showed the defendant’s license had been suspended due to a prior DUI charge.

Dang also admitted to consuming two drinks and officers smelled alcohol on his breath and observed his eyes to be bloodshot and glassy; he had a BAC of 0.152%.

After a field sobriety test and blood was drawn with consent, further queries into Dang’s criminal history revealed two prior Pennsylvania DUI convictions and two prior New York DUI convictions since 2013.

Pennsylvania State Trooper Steven Kase filed charges, conducted the field sobriety test, and took Dang for a blood draw. Trooper Ian Hutchinson conducted the initial traffic stop. Both troopers testified and Kase attended the entire trial.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sean McBryan, semcbryan@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @SeanMcBryanLanc.