Two Northumberland County brothers face drug charges after one of them nearly passed out from taking heroin as he was driving in Loyalsock Township, according to state Trooper Paul McGee.
Anthony Steven Lenner, 30, of Sunbury, was "in and out of consciousness" when McGee found him sitting behind the wheel of his vehicle that was stopped at the intersection of River Avenue and Washington Boulevard about 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 10.
When one of the truck's doors was opened, "a needle fell off Lenner and onto the ground," McGee said.
Inside the truck, "scattered on the driver's seat and floor" were 15 open bags of suspected heroin and nine needles, McGee said. Test results later revealed that Lenner was driving under the influence of heroin and cocaine, McGee added.
While the trooper was was handling Lenner, the driver's brother, Patrick Lenner, 32, of the same address, was exiting a nearby store. It turned out the older brother had in his possession 23 additional bags of heroin, McGee said.
Both men face charges of possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia while Anthony Lenner faces an additional charge of driving under the influence of a controlled substance, McGee said. The two have been sent summonses to appear before District Judge Gary A. Whiteman for a preliminary hearing on Monday.
