State House candidate charged with DUI

From staff reports

An Oil City man who is a candidate for a seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is facing DUI and other charges after an accident along Allegheny Boulevard last month.

John Kluck, 49, is facing misdemeanor counts of DUI and accident involving damage to an attended vehicle or property and summary counts of reckless driving and passing when prohibited.

Kluck is the Democratic nominee for the 64th District seat in the state House as he ran unopposed in last month’s primary election. He is also chairman of the Venango Democrats.

Kluck also ran for state House in 2016 and was defeated in the November election by incumbent R. Lee James.

A criminal complaint filed through district judge Patrick Lowrey’s office said that around 11:15 p.m. May 8, Sugarcreek Borough police were dispatched to the divided section of Allegheny Boulevard in Franklin for a report of a vehicle that had struck a guiderail and almost hit another vehicle.

A Venango County sheriff located the vehicle several minutes later on Halyday Run Road and made contact with the driver, Kluck, the complaint said.

Kluck displayed signs of intoxication, and he failed sobriety tests, the complaint said.

He was taken into custody for suspicion of DUI and was transported to UPMC Northwest for a blood test, the complaint said.

A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled June 27 in Central Court.