The Pennsylvania Senate on Thursday, July 7, passed a bill that would increase penalties for multiple DUI offenders by a 46-4 vote in a measure advocated on behalf of a Brookhaven woman killed in 2019.
State Sens. John Kane, D-9, of Birmingham, Tim Kearney, D-26, of Swarthmore and Anthony Williams, D-8, of Philadelphia and Delaware counties, voted in favor of the measure. State Sen. Amanda Cappelletti, D-17, of King of Prussia, whose district includes Radnor and Haverford, opposed it.
The state House had approved the measure by a 168-32 vote in November.
There, state Rep. Chris Quinn, R-168, of Middletown, was the prime sponsor of HB 773, also known as Deana’s Law. The number has remained the same, representing the birth month and year of Deana DeRosa Eckman.
“I am very gratified the Senate has passed this legislation in Deana’s memory,” state Rep. Chris Quinn, R-168, of Middletown, said. “I look forward to joining Rich and Roseann DeRosa and others who have advocated for this important measure to discuss the law once the governor has signed the measure.”
Deana’s parents, Rich and Roseann DeRosa, are reserving their comments until the governor signs the bill.
Deana was 45-years-old on Feb. 16, 2019 when she was riding in a 2019 Subaru WRX driven by her husband, Chris, on their way home from a family gathering. At 9:40 p.m., Deana was pronounced dead at the scene of a two-vehicle crash at Market Street and the CRX railroad tracks in Upper Chichester. Both Deana and Chris needed to be extricated from the vehicle.
Police said the Subaru was hit head-on by a Ram 2500 pickup truck that had crossed the double lines. The couple were not far from their Brookhaven home.
In November, David Strowhouer, a six-time DUI offender, was resentenced to 24 to 51 years in prison. He had appealed and the state Superior Court upheld the conviction but remanded the case for resentencing.
Strowhouer, 32, of the 2400 block of Woodside Lane in Newtown Square section of Willistown Township, was originally sentenced in November 2019 to 25½ to 50 years after pleading guilty to murder in the third degree, two counts of aggravated assault, accidents involving death or injury, driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license for the Feb. 16 crash on Route 452 in Upper Chichester.
At the time of the crash, authorities said Strowhouer’s blood-alcohol level was 0.199 at the time and he had traces of cocaine, diazepam and marijuana in his system.
Online court records indicate Strowhouer had five prior DUIs on his record since 2010 and was on probation for a previous offense at the time of the crash. He was also driving with a suspended license on Feb. 16, 2019.
Deana’s Law would require consecutive sentencing, instead of concurrent, for fourth DUIs and above. It would also increase penalties for drivers with multiple DUI convictions involving high blood alcohol content levels.
The DeRosa family worked with former state Sen. Tom Killion, R-9 of Middletown, to pass a bill after her death. It included continuous monitoring devices, similar to devices worn by those sentenced to home monitoring. The most recent version does not include this provision.
The governor has 10 days to sign the bill for it to become Pennsylvania law.
