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Priest charged with DUI after running car into his church

MILLVALE, Pa. — More than a month after a driver crashed his car into a Pennsylvania church, authorities have charged a priest with driving under the influence in connection with the incident.

WPXI reported about the car crash at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Millvale on July 11. A criminal complaint obtained by the news station Friday confirmed that authorities determined that the driver, Rev. James Mazurek, was driving drunk.

According to the complaint, Mazurek had smelled of the "strong odor of an alcoholic beverage" and had "blood shot eyes."

Mazurek declined to elaborate on the incident when reached for comment Friday, saying the charges have not been settled.

A spokesperson for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh also declined to comment, saying the matter is between Mazurek and his parishioners. Mazurek continues to work at Holy Spirit Church.

The church’s Facebook page posted a message the same day as the crash introducing Mazurek as the new administrator. No one was injured in the crash, and the church suffered only minor damage to an exterior wall and the interior wall on the other side.

The complaint showed Mazurek had a blood alcohol content of 0.09 percent and 0.10 percent in two different tests. Pennsylvania’s legal limit is 0.08 percent.