by peter e. bortner
Langtry, 25, of Tremont, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Schuylkill County Court to aggravated assault by vehicle, driving an unregistered vehicle, failure to drive at a safe speed and reckless driving.
Prosecutors withdrew charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, disregarding traffic lane, improperly backing up, careless driving and operating vehicle without valid inspection.
Judge Jacqueline L. Russell accepted Langtry's plea and, pursuant to the agreement between prosecutors and the defendant, sentenced him to serve two to four years in a state correctional institution concurrent with his current sentence, pay costs and $300 in fines, perform 20 hours community service and submit a DNA sample to law enforcement authorities.
Langtry, who kept his head down for much of Wednesday's hearing, said little during it except that he understood his plea and that it was a knowing and voluntary one.
Russell said the prison term was appropriate considering the circumstances of the case.
Prosecutors said those circumstances imperiled Langtry's victim, Robert J. Ditzler, 40, of Tremont.
State police at Schuylkill Haven alleged Langtry drove past Ditzler, who was standing on the sidewalk in front of his 30 W. Main St. home about 12:05 a.m. Aug. 5, 2013.
Police said as Langtry drove by at a high rate of speed, he hit his brakes hard and then put his 1996 Volkswagen Golf in reverse and traveled south onto the sidewalk, hitting Ditzler.
Langtry then fled the area on foot, police said.
Police said Ditzler was taken by Tremont EMS to Schuylkill Medical Center-East Norwegian Street, where he was treated and later released.
Langtry already is serving a sentence of one to two years in a state correctional institution for simple assault. President Judge William E. Baldwin imposed that sentence on him on Dec. 3, 2013, saying Langtry had viciously attacked one of his neighbors, David A. Kramer, for no reason at all.
In that case, a jury had convicted Langtry on Oct. 22, 2013, of simple assault, while acquitting him of aggravated assault. Baldwin, who presided over the one-day trial, found Langtry guilty of harassment.
State police at Schuylkill Haven had charged Langtry with assaulting Kramer about 11:30 p.m. May 24 at the defendant's 69 Spring St. residence.Defendant: Daniel T. Langtry
Age: 25
Residence: Tremont
Crimes committed: Aggravated assault by vehicle, driving unregistered vehicle, failure to drive at a safe speed and reckless driving
Prison sentence: Two to four years in a state correctional institution concurrent with his current sentence