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WILKES-BARRE — A Dupont man pleaded guilty Wednesday in Luzerne County Court to charges he caused a multi-vehicle wreck while drunk.

Thomas V. Hawksley Sr., 45, of Lackawanna Street, entered the plea on charges of aggravated assault by vehicle and two counts of driving under the influence related to the Dec. 6 crash in Exeter. His blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit, according to arrest papers.

Hawksley, police say, admitted he had “a few drinks” when Exeter Borough Police officers discovered him laying on the ground next to his damaged Dodge Ram with an apparent facial injury. Three vehicles were involved in the crash and each were heavily damaged, police say.

Officers determined Hawksley was driving northbound on Wyoming Avenue through a thick fog when he collided with another vehicle driving from the opposite direction. The affidavit says the driver, Brenda Mangione, suffered a fractured sternum and a broken left hand in the wreck. Her passenger, Carol Ondusko, had her foot operated on and suffered broken ribs.

Hawksley’s truck veered to the left where it struck a second vehicle driven by John Gilligan, who was stopped on Tunkhannock Avenue at the time, the affidavit says. It was unclear whether Gilligan was injured.

Toxicology results showed Hawksley had a blood-alcohol level of 0.198.

An additional count of aggravated assault by vehicle and three summary traffic offenses were withdrawn in exchange for Hawksley’s plea, according to court records.

Judge Michael T. Vough accepted Hawksley’s plea and scheduled his sentencing for Dec. 16.

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By Joe Dolinsky

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Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL